Organization

Structure of the IISNC:

General Assembly

 The General Assembly consists of delegates of the Member States of IISNC: Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Turkey. The representatives are chosen amongst leading scientists, researchers and experts in relevant disciplines. 

The functions of the General Assembly are:

-Deciding on the general policy of the Institute;

-Electing the Members of the Academic Council;

-Appointing the Director of the Institute;

-Considering the reports on the activities of the Institute;

-Supervising its financial operation, examining and approving its program and budget;

Fixing all Members’ contributions and deciding on the appropriate measures about the Member States which may be in arrears with payment of their contributions. 

The General Assembly meets in regular session every four years in Ulaanbaatar and, if needed, in Paris on the occasion of the General Conference of UNESCO or elsewhere at the invitation of a Member State. It may also be convened in extraordinary sessions by the Academic Council. 

Academic Council

The Academic Council consists of five to ten scholars elected by the General Assembly for four years from amongst candidates nominated by the Member States.

The functions of the Academic Council include:

-Carrying out the decisions and directives of the General Assembly;

-Exercising such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Assembly;

-Acting under the authority of the Assembly and executing programs adopted by the Assembly;

-Evaluating ongoing activities, giving recommendations for future research directions;

-Establishing draft programs and budget;

-Examining and approving the program of the Council’s activities and proposing candidates for the post of Director of the Institute to the General Assembly.

The following Academic Council meetings have been held successfully by the IISNC with the assistance of Member States since 1998:

Secretariat

The Secretariat is located in Ulaanbaatar and carries out the day-to-day work of the Institute, as mandated by the General Assembly of IISNC. It has a Director, appointed by the General Assembly on the proposal of the Academic Council, and staff members working in three organizational units:

1) Program Implementation Unit

The Program Implementation Unit is tasked with planning and carrying out research projects with domestic and international funding in the framework of four programs, namely Nomads and Sustainable Development, Nomads and Social Transformation, Intercultural Dialogue in the Modern World, and Nomadic Cultural Values and Heritages.

2) External Relations and Cooperation Unit 

The External Relations and Cooperation Unit is responsible for expanding the membership of the Institute, building and facilitating collaborative relationships, concluding cooperation agreements with national, regional and international organizations, and seeking funding for research projects.

3) Knowledge Hub and Library

The Knowledge Hub and Library is a unit that aims to consolidate and disseminate knowledge and information on nomadic cultures and civilizations to researchers and the public. It publishes an annual journal, Nomadic Studies, maintains a physical collection of over 12,000 publications and circulates electronic texts through the Institute’s website.