Penn Abroad Ambassador Keanu Natan
Program:
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PGS: Communicating Change in Mongolia
Ask me about...
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Learning the language of your host location while abroad\
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The unique cultural norms of Mongolia
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Navigating Mongolian cuisine
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The world changing, historic origins of Mongolia
My Experience Abroad:
My goal is to one day become a neurosurgeon and build environmentally sustainable outpatient surgery centers across the world providing access to the highest quality of healthcare to people in developing nations, without negatively impacting their environment. Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, is one of the fastest urbanizing cities in the world with a prime focus on sustainable development. The opportunity to explore such a developing nation and meet with its most prominent environmentalist groups such as Gerhub and Ureca proved to be invaluable in my quest to learn about sustainable real estate development. Exploring everything from the nomadic lifestyle of herders out in the middle of the Mongolian Steppe to the high rises of downtown Ulaanbaatar, I was able to truly develop an understanding of what it looks like to be in the midst of rapid urbanization.
As a neuroscience major it was also super interesting to see the impact of such a vastly different environment in contrast to America on the neurodevelopment of the nation. The opportunity to visit our Penn Pals at the Hobby School, one of the premier private schools in Ulaanbaatar, and also to visit the Biology department at the University of Ulaanbaatar provided me with a new perspective on the way societies learn and develop from a neuroscience standpoint.
Other Highlights:
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Eating A LOT of “Aaruul” and “aartz” (Mongolian cheese curds and it’s liquid byproduct)
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Learning how to bargain at the Mongolian black market
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Karaoke with my Penn Pals
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Sleeping in Ger’s at Hustai National Park
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Hanging out with “Taki” (mini Mongolian horses that went extinct and were brought back through science)
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Eating A LOT of Huushuur (deep fried meat pies)
