In honor of the anniversary of one of the oldest and most honored scientists and cultural figures of modern Mongolia, the Academy of Sciences of the country and the International Association of Mongolian Studies organized an international symposium "Problems of Traditional Mongolian Culture in the era of globalization" (Ulaanbaatar, September 3-4, 2007). September 3, 2007 marked the 80th anniversary of the birth of a prominent Mongolian scientist with a worldwide reputation, full member of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Secretary General of the International Association of Mongolian Studies, President of the Mongolian Roerichs Society, Hero of Labor, Honored Scientist (1996), winner of the State Prize of Mongolia (2002), winner of the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in Science (Japan, 2006)), Honorary Member of the International Academy of Indian Culture (India, 1997), Honorary Doctor of MGIMO (U) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2001), Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (2007), Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Shagdaryn Biry. Shagdaryn Bira was born on September 3, 1927 in Ulaanbaatar. In 1951, he was one of the first Mongols to graduate from MGIMO under the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1951-1957, he taught the history of international relations at universities in Mongolia. In 1958-1960 he studied at the post-graduate school of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences under the guidance of the outstanding Russian orientalist Yu. N.Roerich. In 1960, he successfully defended his PhD thesis, and in 1972-his doctoral thesis at the Institute of Internal Affairs of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He quickly became one of the leading historians and social scientists of his country. From 1973 to 1982, he was Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova for Social Sciences, and from 1982 to 1985, he was Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Acade ... Read more