Монголын их сургуулиудын засаглал

Abstract

On July 07, 2023 the parliament of Mongolia approved the newly amended draft law on education submitted by the government of Mongolia. Thereon-in institutions within the education sector of Mongolia had to abide by the terms and conditions stated within the newly approved law. This amendment had an especially significant impact on the governance aspects of higher education institutions in Mongolia. For instance, although the law permitted the board of directors within an institution to have the power to appoint/elect their director, it specifically required the number of board members to be exactly 15, with the condition to have 8 of those members to represent the founder of the institution. The amendment also determined the roles and responsibilities of the board of directors. Such imbalance in power within the governing body inspired the research team to focus on this subject matter and conduct a closer look at governance conditions within the higher education sector in Mongolia. This study focuses on themes arising from governance issues from responses to the draft law. About 395 responses from 14 state-owned and non-state-owned universities participated in the study that focused on the board, academic council, financial independence/transparency, and founding member related roles within the institution’s governance. Suggested reforms include, improving and reviewing the overall understanding of governance within the diverse members making up of the governing board, their growth and willingness to support and cooperate more effectively with one another, clarifying spheres of authority and accountability, while promoting a more shared and collegial governance within their organizations.