RAS Lecture/Slide Presentation
August 24th, 2005
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m


“A Walk across Outer Mongolia”

By Professeur William Engels
THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT’S CLUB(FCC)

“KOREA PRESS CENTER BUILDING”, 18th FLOOR



The Synopsis :
In June of 2002, Professor William Engels set out on foot from the southwestern border of Mongolia in the Gobi Desert with the intention of crossing the width of the country to the northern border in Siberia.  On the way he would record his experiences; gather impressions of the landscape; note the flora and fauna; interview locals about their living conditions, customs, and folklore; and visit historic sites for the purpose of writing a travel book.  Almost two months and more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) later he succeeded in reaching the border post of Khankh in north-central Mongolia.

The lecture will recount Professor Engels’ journey, while including information on the culture and history of the people and ecology of the country, largely through excerpts from the unpublished manuscript of his travel book.  Among his experiences were the discovery of the site of two Stone Age camps or settlements in the Gobi Desert, camping inadvertently at the winter capital of the Mongol empire in the mid-thirteenth century, and returning down Lake Khövsgöl by boat as a stowaway.  Because Mongolia is uniquely situated in an ecological transition zone between the Central Asian desert and steppe and the Siberian taiga, the lecture will trace the gradual progression from desert to steppe and from steppe to forest in this zone.

Biographical Note:
An American citizen, Professor Engels received his Ph. D. in English Literature (19th-Century British) from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1998.  From the fall of 1998 through the spring of 2002 he taught English at the University of Colorado at Denver’s International College of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  He is currently teaching as an adjunct professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Sogang University.

RAS-KB is going on trip to Mongolia on July 7th- 15, 2005. The trip covers the Nadaam festival, a two-day festival of Mongolian’s national sports. We also have the chance wander around the Gobi desert on camels, and see dinosaur’s fossils Bayanzag. Those who would like to participate in this rare opportunity, please contact us.

*PLEASE READ THE BACK OF THIS PAGE REGARDING THE CHANGE IN THE USUAL LECTURE VENUE.


CHANGE IN THE USUAL R.A.S LECTURE VENUE!

Dear members of the RAS-KB,

THE NEXT LECTURE WILL BE HELD ON AUGUST 24TH AT THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB (‘FCC”).  THE FCC IS ON THE 18TH FLOOR OF THE “KOREA PRESS CENTER” BUILDING, WHICH IS THE FIRST BUILDING BEHIND SEOUL CITY HALL (NORTH SIDE OF CITY HALL).  THE PRESS CENTER BUILDING IS A SHORT WALK FROM CITY HALL STATION OF SUBWAY LINES 1 (ORANGE LINE) AND 2 (GREEN LINE) OR KWANGHWAMUN STATION OF LINE 5 (PURPLE LINE).

FOR EARLY COMERS TO THE LECTURE, FOOD AND DRINKS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE FCC BAR OR DINING ROOM.  FOLLOWING THE LECTURE, THE RAS IS OFFERING A RECEPTION WITH FREE SOFT DRINKS AND COFFEE; ADDITIONAL BEER, WINE, COCKTAILS AND FOOD CAN BE PURCHASED FROM THE BAR AS WELL DURING THE RECEPTION.  RAS MEMBERS AND OTHER ATTENDEES ARE WELCOME TO STAY AS LATE AS THEY WISH; THE FCC CLOSES AT 10:OO PM.

THE USE OF THE FCC AND RECEPTION FOLLOWING THE LECTURE HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF A DONATION FROM THE HONG KONG & SHANGHAI BANK (“HSBC”) AND THE KIND COOPERATION OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB.

FREE PARKING IS AVAILABLE TO ALL ATTENDEES OF THE LECTURE AND RECEPTION; YOU MUST ASK FOR A PARKING VOUCHER TICKET AT THE CASHIER DESK AT THE ENTRANCE DOOR OF FCC.


*Note : The Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch office will be closed from August, 1,2,3,4 and 5th due to summer vacation.

*There are no lecture meetings in July. See you on August 24th.
*All RAS lectures are sponsored by HSBC