Amarjargal Dagvadorj (Parliamentary Research Service, Mongolia)
I was ten years old in this picture. At that time, only a few people had personal cameras in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Those with cameras used to stand in the capital’s central square and take pictures of people to sustain their livelihood. In this photo, I am posing with my younger brother while strolling through the main square. I was a reticent girl back then. I remember talking only with books. My classmates used to say that my presence and absence were not recognized. There was a time when I was bullied and misunderstood because of my poor expressive language and frequent silence. My silent nature did not hinder my work and studies in Japan.
However, when I did my postdoc in Canada, I had to step out of my comfort zone daily. In this sense, I am very grateful to my supervisors, who guided my research works and greatly influenced me to become the independent researcher I am today.
Now I understand that a woman can contribute more to society by speaking up actively. That’s why, after returning to Mongolia, I developed to become a science advocate by making a TV program to introduce science to the younger generation, serving as a moderator of science events for the public.
I believe that the meaning of research work is measured not only by conducting and publishing with quality but also by output that effectively reaches many people.