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MongoliaMongolian Science
Following the organizational pattern of Soviet science,
Mongolia separated research, which was pursued in specialized
research institutes, from the teaching of science in
universities. The Mongolian Academy of Sciences, founded in 1961,
had fourteen research institutes in 1982. Scientific work in
Mongolia reflected the country's particular geological and
climatic conditions, and it involved a good deal of surveying,
mapping, and cataloging of minerals, soils, plants, and local
microclimates. Projects with clear economic applications were
favored. The Institute of Geography and Permafrost compiled maps
of permafrost, which covers more than half the country, and
devised methods of construction and mining in permafrost areas.
Geological mapping and prospecting for useful minerals had a high
priority. The country's climate and location make it a good place
for astronomical observatories and for studies of seismicity and
tectonic processes. Mongolian physicists were concentrating on
the development of solar energy and photovoltaic generation of
electricity to serve the dispersed and mobile herders and to help
stem the flow of the population to the cities. The expansion of
scientific education and of the number of scientists contributed
to concern over the environmental consequences of the singleminded focus on short-term economic growth that had characterized
the period from the 1960s through the late 1980s.
Data as of June 1989
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