BCCIE along with British Columbia institutions returned home from an exploratory visit to Mongolia this past Fall 2013. The visit corresponded with the 40th anniversary of Diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Canada, the 5th anniversary of the Canadian Embassy presence in Ulaanbaatar and a visit from the Rt. Hon David Johnston Governor General of Canada.

Two highlights from the trip were the Ulaanbaatar Study in Canada Fair held in Mongolia’s capital and the signing of a Letter of Intent with the Mongolian Ministry of Education and Science. 
The Study in Canada Fair (the first ever hosted in Mongolia) was an overwhelming success and saw attendance of almost 2200 students, parents and agents. Visitors were able to gain information on undergraduate and post-graduate education in Canada through a series of presentations done by Canadian institutions. BCCIE presented alongside 21 Canadian post-secondary schools, ten of which were from BC. The high percentage of BC schools showed off the best of our province and will likely translate to higher numbers of Mongolian students joining our BC institutions in the coming years.

The Letter of Intent, signed with the Mongolian Ministry of Education and Science, will serve as a vehicle not only to attract Mongolian students to BC, but also to link Mongolian and BC provincial Ministries, promote research and enable student and faculty exchanges.
The foundations set in this visit will signal the start of a relationship between BC and Mongolia and will generate future opportunities for BC institutions in the form of partnerships and international engagement.