About us

At the initiative of UNESCO and with the support of its former Director-General, Mr. Federico Mayor (1987-1999), the International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations under the auspices of UNESCO was established by an agreement concluded on 16 September 1998 between the governments of Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Turkey.

The idea for an International Institute to Study Nomadic Civilizations emerged during the Nomads’ Expedition in Mongolia, which was organized by UNESCO in 1992 as part of the Silk Roads Project when an international team recommended an institute. UNESCO confirmed the recommendation at its 27th Session of the General Conference, held in 1993. The Institute was founded with two founding aims — preserving nomads’ unique historical and cultural heritage and actively contributing to the development of appropriate elements of modernization for the continual improvement of nomadic life. Since its foundation, Professor Jacques Legrand (France) has served as the Chairperson of the Institute’s Academic Council. 

The Secretariat of the Institute is based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. At present, it has three organizational units and ten staff members. Dr Byambabaatar Ichinkhorloo was appointed the Director of the Institute by the Fourth session of the General Assembly in Paris, France 2022.