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Ing Michal Vít, University of West Bohemia,
ročník 5About the country
Location of the place
Mongolia is located in the North Asia bordered with Russia and China, it is approximately twenty times bigger than Czech Republic but the population density is much lower.
City
Ulaanbaatar is the capital city of Mongolia and the biggest one where lives around 1,5 million people. Its located in the central north Mongolia at altitude 1325 m, surrounded by mountains. The center of UB is highly developed with a big malls, markets, high commercial buildings. It is devided into 9 districts and surrounded by large ger districts from east, north and west.
Surroundings (possible trips, ...)
You can visit so many nice places there, such as:
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park - beautiful park with amazing fauna and flora located 65km to the north-east from the city, where is possible to get by a bus to Nalaikh from Peace Avenue and then by a taxi or a bus at 16:00 once a day to the Terelj.
Manzushir Monastery - small monastery to the south from UB, possible to go there by walk across the Bogd Khan mountains or by a bus from the Dragon bus station in the west of UB.
Bogd Khan mounatins - nice mountains around 2000m high to the south where is so many possible hiking routes and nice views at the city.
The Chinggis Khaan statue - 50 km far to the east big statue of Chinggis Khaan riding a horse with a museum beneath, it is possible to get there by a bus or the best is a car.
The Gobi desert - to the south aprox. 800km far gorgeous lanscapes, nature, almost wasteland, wonderful sand dunes 100km long and 5km wide, high mountains and deep gorges, I have been there with 8 friends and the trip took 4 days in a small russian van called UAZ Purgana, sleeping in a gers and eating delicious nomads food, mongolian friend organised it and guided us, really must-see place.
And many many more i did not make.
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park - beautiful park with amazing fauna and flora located 65km to the north-east from the city, where is possible to get by a bus to Nalaikh from Peace Avenue and then by a taxi or a bus at 16:00 once a day to the Terelj.
Manzushir Monastery - small monastery to the south from UB, possible to go there by walk across the Bogd Khan mountains or by a bus from the Dragon bus station in the west of UB.
Bogd Khan mounatins - nice mountains around 2000m high to the south where is so many possible hiking routes and nice views at the city.
The Chinggis Khaan statue - 50 km far to the east big statue of Chinggis Khaan riding a horse with a museum beneath, it is possible to get there by a bus or the best is a car.
The Gobi desert - to the south aprox. 800km far gorgeous lanscapes, nature, almost wasteland, wonderful sand dunes 100km long and 5km wide, high mountains and deep gorges, I have been there with 8 friends and the trip took 4 days in a small russian van called UAZ Purgana, sleeping in a gers and eating delicious nomads food, mongolian friend organised it and guided us, really must-see place.
And many many more i did not make.
Employer
Employer
Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Power engineering department.
My supervisor was really nice lady who help me with everything I need to and showed me how is the local life going. She speaks english and she has really good czech.
My supervisor was really nice lady who help me with everything I need to and showed me how is the local life going. She speaks english and she has really good czech.
Work description
I was working at the power engineering department as a researcher, it means i was reading a lot of literature, making notes and reports. I had some laboratory exercises in a very good equipped lab from Czech Republic. I was designing an inverter for a PV panels also, Matlab model simulation, calculations and assembling at the end. I had two lectures where I teached around 50 students too. The work was interesting, I have learned a lot and gained new experiences in renewable energy and it gave me a new horizons.
Salary (sufficient for local conditions?)
I got schollarship 250$ every month in cash (Tugrigs) which was sufficient for food and hanging out sometimes. But I spent like two times more because of trips and meeting friends in a pubs, karaokes and so on.
Language requirements
Mongolian people do not speak english, but not at all, some of them are trying, some of students can speak, but its not the best. I have met really good speaking mongolians also, so it depends who you know. Older persons can speak russian, but younger no more, they are learning english or korean.
Accommodation (price, who provided it)
I was staying next to the KTMS university at Sansar district 30 minutes by walk from my university. The accomodation was provided and payed by the university and it was really good to local conditions. Just basic things and equipment for daily living, don't expect any luxury.
Social life
Meeting IAESTE members (pick-up at the airport, organized events...)
I was picked up by the coordinator for foreign incomes at the airport and he took me at my appartment. He took me back at the airport when leaving also.
The social life is really interesting in UB, I was meeting my friend from another university and we usually went to the TSE pub and coffe which is located almost everywhere around the city center.
The social life is really interesting in UB, I was meeting my friend from another university and we usually went to the TSE pub and coffe which is located almost everywhere around the city center.
Meeting other foreign students
For meeting another foreign people you can join the group on facebook called UB couchsurfing (link below) and they are organising meeting almost every week. It is possible to meet some mongolian people who speak english if you go clubbing or just sitting in a pub, they usually talk to you first.
Sport and culture
I used local gym, where i payed monthly around 70.000T. The most popular sport between students is a basketball, they are playing everywhere and anytime. It also possible to visit a swimming pool. Running in the city center is almost impossible or not good. Hiking is the best activity what to do.
I have visited the traditional concert of mongolian culter, which is really nice performance, where you can see traditional costumes, dance, songs and musical instruments. Cinema is cheap with english dubbing and mongolian subtitles.
I have visited the traditional concert of mongolian culter, which is really nice performance, where you can see traditional costumes, dance, songs and musical instruments. Cinema is cheap with english dubbing and mongolian subtitles.
Food, local specialties
Mongolian cusine is really delicious and cheap, their tradditional food is a khuushuur with many different kind. Food is always prepared from fresh ingredients and really good meat. They are eating a lot of meat, specially pork, sheep, horse sometimes beef and chicken but its not usual. Vegetable is a bit expensive but the prices are going down.
Other information
Possibilites to communicate with the Czech Republic
Wifi is everywhere, but you have to pay for it. You can use a mobile internet also, which is cheap. I had internet at the university in the office and also at the dormitory for free. I had to organise it by myself, went to the IT guy next the university and ask him for making an account.
Recommendations for students who will go to the same place
Be prepared for crowdy streets and crazy drivers on the roads. Criminality is similar to ours, so dont worry, but do not walk alone at a dark in gers districts, many people warned me. Prepare your stomach and intestine for fatty food, they eat a lot of fat and its good.
What not to forget with you
Very warm cloth in winter, it can be -40°C during a day, sleeping bag if you want to travel and sleep under the stars, otherwise gers are for rent everywhere. Good shoes for hiking.
Benefits of the internship
Explored different country, met new people, got information about their culture and habits, different experience in technical field.
Cooperation with IAESTE in the foreign country
I did not cooperate.
Overall experience with IAESTE
The organisation was really good and I had no problem with IAESTE.
Student's website
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Employer's webiste
http://www.must.edu.mn/eng/
Other useful links
https://www.facebook.com/groups/125167860986887/?ref=bookmarks
https://www.facebook.com/groups/277929069040220/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ubesc/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/277929069040220/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ubesc/
Other comments
The internship was really nice experience and I don't regret anything. I have larned so many about Mongolia and it will always be an interesting country with nice and hospitality people who are always interested in your experience.