Project inspection by Program Officer from JICA HQs

From October 5 to 9, 2025, a Program Officer from the Office for Science, Technology and Innovation, and Digital Transformation from JICA HQs, visited Mongolia to observe ongoing project activities and to participate in an online Kick-off Meeting with the preparatory survey team for the first Grant Aid survey scheduled to begin in December 2025.

She has overseen the project since May 2025, and this visit marked her first trip to Mongolia. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to observe project activities firsthand and to gain a deeper understanding of the implementation status and challenges on the ground. The project consists of three Outputs, each with a designated counterpart institution. Although the effective stay in Mongolia was limited to three working days, meetings were held with all counterpart organizations to review progress to date, discuss challenges, and confirm plans and requests.

Discussions with MUST-SICT (Mongolian University of Science and Technology – School of Information and Communication Technology), the counterpart institution for Output 2, focused on preparations for the Study Trip to Japan scheduled for later in the month. At the time of the visit, the host universities had already been selected, and questionnaires for each institution were under preparation, reflecting strong expectations for the upcoming Study Trip.

Meetings with NAoG confirmed that national budget cuts have delayed training programs for local government officials. At the same time, NAoG expressed a strong intention to conduct pilot training programs in local areas using the training materials developed through the project. In response, the project will proceed with preparations to support the implementation of regional-level training activities.

Furthermore, an online Kick-off Meeting was held with the preparatory survey team for the Grant Aid project scheduled to commence in December 2025. The meeting provided an opportunity for introductions and initial information sharing among stakeholders. The participation of the State Secretary of MDDIC underscored the high level of importance placed on this initiative by the Mongolian government.

Although the duration of the visit was limited, the three days proved to be highly productive. She is scheduled to return to Mongolia in December together with the Grant Aid preparatory survey team, and further strengthening of coordination between the technical cooperation project and the Grant Aid project is expected.