On October 23, 2025, a forum titled "Mongol Studies in Canada: Beyond Borders - Steppe Dialogue" was held in Ottawa, organized by the Embassy of Mongolia in Canada.
The event was dedicated to the memory of Professor Wayne Schlepp, who is considered one of the founders of Mongol studies in Canada. During the first session, titled "Mongolia in New Geopolitical Conditions," the Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia, Mendee Jargalsaikhan, presented a report, while Jonathan Berkshire Miller, co-founder of Pendulum Geopolitical Advisory, discussed "Opportunities for Cooperation between Canada and Mongolia in Changing Geopolitical Conditions."
In the second session, titled "Mongol Studies: Transmitting Knowledge to Future Generations," Professor Michael Gurvers, founder of the Central and Inner Asia Seminar (CIAS) at the University of Toronto, delivered a keynote speech on "Professor Wayne Schlepp and His Contribution to Mongol Studies in Canada."
Among other speakers were Professor Sam Bass from the University of Toronto with a lecture dedicated to the meaning of the word "Kitad" in the Mongolian language, as well as Professor Lisa Yantz, also from Toronto, with a presentation on the Stone Age and its relationships between humans and animals in the Gobi-steppe region. Additionally, Sarah Combrede, a doctoral student at Laval University, shared her research on human-nature interactions in contemporary Mongolia, focusing on cultural geography.
The forum became a significant platform for discussing both traditional areas of Mongol studies, such as history, language, culture, ethnography, and archaeology, as well as contemporary aspects, including Mongolia's foreign policy in the current geopolitical context and ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Mongolia and Canada. Participants agreed on the need to hold such events regularly to foster the development of connections among researchers in Mongol studies.
Wayne Schlepp, born in 1931 in South Dakota, grew up in a small town on the prairies, which had a significant influence on his personality, for which he was always grateful. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and studying at the Army Language School, where he learned Chinese, he continued his service in an intelligence unit in Tokyo.
After returning from military service, he was awarded a scholarship to the University of London, where he defended his doctoral dissertation on Chinese literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1964. Upon returning to the U.S., he took a position in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto.
He wrote an extensive treatise titled "San-chu: Technique and Imagery," and his research in Chinese poetics and Mongolian grammar has been published in journals such as The Journal of Chinese Linguistics, The Journal of American Oriental Society, Mongolian Studies, and Asia Folklore Studies.
Mongol studies encompass a variety of academic disciplines that explore the language, history, ethnography, religion, art, and literature of the peoples of Mongolia.
Tatar S. Maidar
source: MiddleAsianNews
