Parliamentary State Secretary Johann Saathoff of BMZ Officially Visits GMIT

Parliamentary State Secretary Mr.Johann Saathoff of BMZ Officially Visits GMIT

On August 25, 2026, a high-level delegation from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), headed by Mr. Johann Saathoff, Parliamentary State Secretary and Head of Delegation, officially visited the Nalaikh Campus of the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT).

The delegation included Ms. Wiebke Doesken, Advisor to Mr. Saathoff, and Ms. Christiane Amari, Head of the Division for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia and Mongolia at BMZ.

As part of the visit, the delegation toured the GMIT campus and the Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA), used for mineral processing and research, and met with GMIT students for an exchange of views. The meeting with the students was one of the highlights of the visit and proved to be a particularly inspiring and moving experience for the delegation. The delegates highlighted that the students’ openness in sharing their perspectives, experiences, and aspirations for the future made the exchange both meaningful and valuable. .

A presentation and discussion titled “Results of Cooperation and GMIT’s Vision for the Future” was also held. The discussion addressed GMIT’s development, its cooperation with German universities, its ambition to further develop as a research-oriented university, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the private sector.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss GMIT’s contribution to education, research, innovation, and the development of highly qualified engineering professionals within the framework of long-standing Mongolian-German cooperation.

The meeting with GMIT students was one of the highlights of the delegation’s visit and proved to be a particularly inspiring and meaningful experience. The delegates highlighted the students’ openness in sharing their experiences, perspectives, and aspirations for the future, which made the exchange both engaging and valuable.

Representatives of the Ministry of Education of Mongolia, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mongolia, GIZ, KfW, BGR, and GMIT participated in the visit.

Participants

Ministry of Education of Mongolia

Mr. T. Nyam-Ochir, State Secretary, Mr. N. Purevtsogt, Director of the Higher and Vocational Education Policy Coordination Department

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mongolia

Mr. Udo Weber, Head of Cooperation, Ms. Lakshmi Boojoo, Translator

GIZ

Mr. Jürgen Hartwig, Resident Representative and Cluster Coordinator for Sustainable Economic and Workforce Development, Mr. Sebastian Burghof, GMIT Project Manager, Mr. Jonas Renner, RePaRe Project Manager

KfW

Ms. Erdenebayasgalan Ganjuurjav, Local Representative

BGR

Mr. Jaime Fernandez, Project Manager

German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT)

Mr. Terbishdagva Dendev, Chair of the GMIT Board of Governors

Prof. Battsengel Baatar, Rector of GMIT

Mr. Enkhbayar Bold, Vice-Rector for Finance and Administration of GMIT, Deans, professors, and academic staff

The high-level visit by the BMZ delegation marked an important milestone in further strengthening Mongolian-German cooperation in education, science, skills development, and sustainable economic development, while supporting GMIT’s strategic vision and continued institutional development.