A delegation from the PGI-NRI took part in the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Institute of Geology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the international conference ‘Geological Issues of Central Asia’ organised to mark this occasion.

The conference offered an opportunity to present the results of research conducted in Mongolia, to establish international contacts and to strengthen existing cooperation.

The Polish delegation with Dr Turbold Sukhbaatar (photo: A. Tsogoo)

Rafał Sikora, PhD, was a member of the conference organising committee and, during the gala ceremony, forwarded wishes to the staff of the MAS Institute of Geology from Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek and also from the geological community represented by the Polish Geological Society, to the Institute’s Director, Turbold Sukhbaatar, PhD.

Rafał Sikora presenting a letter with congratulations from the PGI-NRI management to Turbold Sukhbaatar, Director of the IG MAS (photo: IG MAS)

Presentation of the conference Organising Committee (photo: IG MAS)

During the presentation session dedicated to the analysis of sedimentary basins, he discussed the latest findings from geological research into the origin and development of Quaternary playa lakes in the northern part of the Gobi, supported by numerous publications in cooperation with researchers from the archaeology departments of the University of Wrocław, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, as well as geologists from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM).

Dr Rafał Sikora presenting research findings from the Gobi Desert (photo: R. Pachytel)

During the session on deposit-related issues, Radomir Pachytel, MSc (Eng), presented the results of exploration for critical raw materials for the EU in Mongolia (in the western part of the Khangai Mountains), conducted by PGI-NRI teams over the past four years.

Radomir Pachytel presenting results of the prospecting for critical raw materials in the Khangai Mountains (photo: IG MAS)

In turn, during the poster session, Paweł Urbański, PhD, presented the results of analyses of gold occurrence in alluvial sediments in the Khasagt Mountains in western Mongolia.

Paweł Urbański and Rafał Sikora during a presentation session (photo: IG MAS)

Prior to the conference, participants had the opportunity to take part in a field trip to the Erdenet Cu-Mo district. The trip provided an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the geology of the Erdenet deposit and the operations of the mine, as well as to speak with staff.

The visit to Ulaanbaatar was also an opportunity to renew contacts with the Polish Embassy.

Rafał Sikora and Paweł Urbański were invited to a meeting with Krzysztof Świderk, PhD, Chargé d’affaires a.i. at the Polish Embassy in Mongolia, and Counsellor Wojciech Mrozowski. The hosts expressed great interest in the activities of Polish geologists in Mongolia and learned about the prospects for expanding Polish-Mongolian cooperation in this field.

Meeting between PGI-NRI staff and the Polish Ambassador in Ulaanbaatar (photo: W. Mrozowski)

Group photo of the conference participants

Text: Rafał Sikora, Radomir Pachytel