Educating women in engineering, science, and technology
University scholarships in the sciences for girls and women
Higher education is essential to reducing poverty and economic growth. The great distances to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, combined with poor infrastructure and harsh weather, make it extremely difficult for young women from low-income families to receive a university education. In 2010, in partnership with the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation, established by Pandju Merali in honor of his late wife, and the Zorig Foundation, we launched a scholarship program for 60 aspiring young women to pursue four-year science degrees at two of Mongolia's top universities. Tunamaltaj is from rural Khentii Province and has six siblings; her mother passed away when she was in the 8th grade and her father is disabled and unable to work. After a competitive selection process, Tunamaltaj was chosen based on her academic achievements and need. Thrilled and motivated, she is currently studying electronic systems and dreams of managing one of Mongolia's mobile telecommunications companies.