An Interview with Prof. Sukhbaatar: Students should learn how to overcome challenges and not to give up.

Professor Sukhbaatar was invited as a visiting professor to Yamaguchi-Takada laboratory between April to July 2012.  During his stay, Professor Sukhbaatar conducted Joint Reading Seminar session and Research Methodology classes for the lab members.

Yokoi and Poong interviewed Professor Sukhbaatar. Professor Sukhbaatar shared his interesting background in Mongolia, his impression on Japan, and his advice to students involved in the International Development Engineering field in the one-hour interview.

 

Professor Sukhbaatar’s Background

Professor Sukhbaatar shared his background in Mongolia in three aspects, namely his education, work experience, and the activities he has been doing in Mongolia. Professor Sukhbaatar completed his high school in Uvs province of Mongolia. Subsequently, he went to Russia for his undergraduate studies in Moscow. After four years of studies, he graduated with a Bachelor of Commercial Science with excellent scores, despite his tough experience of overcoming language challenges. Twenty years later, Professor Sukhbaatar pursued his Masters of Business Adminstration in Maastricht School of Management (joint education program with the Netherlands) in Ulanbaatar. In 2002, Professor Sukhbaatar went to the United States for five years to pursue his PhD with specialization in higher education and comparative international education.

Professor Sukhbaatar started being as a lecturer and thereafter involved in the administration of Ministry of Education and was appointed as the director of a college. After Professor Sukhbaatar obtained his PhD, he worked in the Institute of Finance and Economic for one year, before joining the Millennium Challenge Account for three years. Professor Sukhbaatar has consultancy experience involved in projects funded by the United States and Asian Development Bank, such as Higher Education Specialist, as well as vocational and education training.

Source: http://www.e-mongol.com/mongolia_geography.htm#maps

Professor Sukhbaatar impression on Japan

Professor Sukhbaatar like Japan due in part to the assistance Japanese government has provided to the development of Mongolia in education and industrial sector. In addition, Professor Sukhbaatar admires Japanese persistent spirit in skills development and the willingness to strive to do very well by implementing improvement of ways to do things.

During Professor Sukhbaatar one month stay in Hokkaido in 1993, he had a dream to bring 2.3 million Mongolians to stay in Japan for one month, with the aim to expose Mongolians to learn how Japanese respect each other, giving other people the impression of politeness, friendly, and empathy in human relationships. Professor Sukhbaatar feels very glad to be involved in the ICT education project with Professor Yamaguchi and Professor Takada, which provided special opportunity to experience Japan.

Professor Sukhbaatar advice to IDE students

“Do not come here for just study, but to involve personally in project is beneficial to you”, advised Professor Sukhbaatar. In addition, Professor Sukhbaatar stresses the need to focus on research methodology skill because this skill helps students to analyze and present findings, which is useful not only for graduate studies, but also for future profession and careers. Analytical skill is very important.

Professor Sukhbaatar also emphasized that students should learn how to overcome challenges and not to give up. Instead, we should mobilize our resources and strength, such as the knowledge we learnt, in order to overcome challenges. Once challenges are overcome, we will gain confidence. We feel satisfy if we accomplish something, instead of just planning without action.

It is particularly useful, if we can complete things in time, following the dateline. This is especially important in IDE projects. Finally, Professor Sukhbaatar advises students to value human relationship, which is an important aspect in the field of international development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poong and Yokoi

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