FIELD INVESTIGATIONS IN SOUTHERN MONGOLIA: A COLLABORATIVE, INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES

Many of the challenges associated with designing successful undergraduate research opportunities are amplified in international settings, where cultural and language differences play a role, and logistics may be particularly complicated. The 2003 Keck Mongolia project brought together a group of 19 undergraduates (representing 7 U.S. and Mongolian academic institutions), and 5 advisors to conduct diverse investigations in a remote part of southeastern Mongolia. Goals of the project were to give students hands-on experience conducting geologically significant research, and to enrich this experience through cultural exchange and travel to central Asia. Projects ranged from structure and petrology of Paleozoic basement rocks, to sedimentology of Cretaceous and younger strata, reflecting the diverse and poorly-known geology of southern Mongolia. Specific challenges included special logistical considerations for a large group conducting field work in a remote part of the Gobi desert, which is a multi-day drive from the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Health and safety precautions were reinforced through pre-travel and in-country communication. An important aspect of student preparation included clearly defining realistic expectations for working and living conditions in the application form for the project. Scientific goals presented particular challenges: while general research objectives were outlined in the planning stage, specific projects could not be defined prior to travel, partly because only two of the advisors had previously visited the field area. Although this aspect of the project created some anxiety among participants, it also emphasized within the group a sense of discovery, and exposed students to the excitement of applying transferable geologic observational skills to an entirely new field area. Limited time and challenging physical conditions in the field required hard work among the international teams (Mongolian and American student pairs), and advisors encouraged student-directed investigations while providing enough guidance to keep projects focused and progressing. Student-directed investigations also underscored personal investment in the research, culminating in senior thesis projects and meeting presentations for many of the participants.