Mongolia, a place that was unfamiliar to many, including myself at first, eventually became a place which helped strengthen and build my leadership skills. When I told people I was going to volunteer in Mongolia for 6 weeks, most of their initial reactions were, “What’s even there? Why are you going?” Many actually weren't even sure where Mongolia was located, often confusing it with Inner Mongolia.

As I embarked on this journalism-related volunteering project, one of my key objectives naturally became to help and uncover the mysteries of this fascinating landlocked country, situated between two global powers, Russia and China. My LiA project essentially aimed at promoting a deeper understanding of Mongolia’s culture and history and current affairs to foreign audiences as Mongolia aims to build its tourism industry, while also honing my leadership and media skills.

My role primarily involved working with two organisations: Voice of Mongolia, a radio station under the Mongolian National Broadcaster, and FOUR Seasons Magazine, a young inflight magazine for Mongolian Airlines that also produces social media content. I chose to take on the additional volunteering opportunity with FOUR Seasons Magazine because I wanted to contribute more during my time in Mongolia and gain more hands-on experience while immersing myself in the local environment. I can confidently say that my experience with both organisations has both subtly and significantly enhanced my personal development and leadership skills.

At Voice of Mongolia, I worked in the English department, contributing to daily news and radio programs while helping deliver podcast content. This role allowed me to adapt my previous news media experience to a new cultural context. I not only gained deeper insights into Mongolia’s current affairs, culture, politics, history, and economy, but also improved my leadership in a setting where I was the only foreigner. I had to take initiative, self-manage, and actively contribute while learning to integrate into the team. These experiences taught me that leadership isn't always about managing others, but it’s also about leading oneself. I realised that effective communication requires flexibility, patience and the ability to ask questions and seek clarification when necessary. This experience gave me the confidence to thrive in new unfamiliar environments and foster my ability to adapt my leadership style according to the situation.

At FOUR Seasons Magazine, my work involved interviewing notable Mongolian figures such as music producer and professional motorcyclist, writing articles, and producing videos and posts for social media. The independent nature of this role gave me creative freedom, but also required me to manage my own time, plan ahead, and ensure clear communication with the staff, while I was juggling with my work with the other organisation. Although I had worked on similar tasks before, this experience was completely new and unique, presenting fresh perspectives and challenges. It was undeniably fruitful, fulfilling, and meaningful to be able to adapt my previous skills to contribute to something significant for the project.

I also worked on creating social media content related to Mongolian arts and culture. The work was largely independent, offering me plenty of flexibility and creative freedom. However, with this creative freedom and the absence of the role of a mentor, I had to rely on my past experiences, self-assessment, and learning from other successful projects to plan my individual content initiatives. This required me to plan ahead, assess the feasibility of my ideas, and ensure clear communication with the staff while executing my projects. 

Moreover, conducting interviews allowed me to further develop my leadership skills by thinking from multiple perspectives. I had to consider the audience's interests, the interviewees' stories, and how to infuse each piece with a personal, human touch. Guiding my interviewees in expressing themselves authentically was also a valuable skill I developed throughout this process, especially given the language barrier I have with some of the interviewees. 

Interview with Mongolian Music Producer Man on the Moon

Overall, the goal of my LiA project was to promote Mongolia’s cultural richness and keep the broader international audience aware of current affairs in Mongolia while improving my leadership skills through media-related tasks. Through this project, one of the greatest rewards was gaining a better understanding of Mongolian society, which is particularly valuable for an International Relations student like me. Additionally, this experience helped me build a stronger sense of leadership, which has benefited me greatly for both my personal and professional development.