As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) proudly served as the main sponsor of the 18th ABU Robocon 2019 competition, which was hosted in Mongolia for the first time. This prestigious event provides engineering, technical, and technology students with an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a practical setting, making it one of the most significant and renowned competitions in the field.
The competition is highly valued for fostering creative thinking, teamwork, resilience, and time management among young participants. This year, 16 countries competed with 17 teams, showcasing robots designed and built through their ingenuity and technical skills.
As the host country, Mongolia was granted the privilege of entering two teams. Both teams represented the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST) and were comprised of students who had placed top in the national competition.
Behind the Scenes: The MUST Teams: Members of the MUST teams, along with their coaches, shared their thoughts on the competition. They revealed that they had dedicated six months of intensive preparation, working and living together as a team. Many students, originally from Uvs, Zavkhan, and Bayan-Ulgii provinces, sacrificed their summer vacations at home to focus on the competition. Some even forewent part-time jobs that typically help cover their tuition fees, highlighting their commitment to the event.
Despite the challenges, team members emphasized the invaluable experience they gained, noting that the journey was as rewarding as the competition itself.
Dr. Ts. Khurelbaatar, a professor from MUST’s Electronics Department, commented:
“Robocon plays a significant role in cultivating skilled engineers and greatly contributes to the advancement of Mongolia’s technology and engineering sectors. It is the only competition that provides a clear indicator of our development level in this field. We are grateful to the sponsoring organizations for their continuous support over the past 18 years of Robocon, and especially for their contributions to hosting this year’s competition in Mongolia for the first time.”
TDB remains committed to empowering young talents and advancing technological education in Mongolia, continuing its support for initiatives that shape the nation’s future innovators and leaders.
B. Dorj (Professor at MUST’s Electronics Department) shared his thoughts:
“We cannot compete with other countries in terms of manpower. While other nations have 100 million people working on a project, we only have 10, making it impossible to match their scale. For Mongolia, the only path forward is through technology and the development of electronics. Currently, our economy relies on mineral resources, but in the next 60 years, technological advancements will become a top priority.
Although our population is small, Mongolians are recognized for their intellectual capacity. We must leverage this strength to improve our technology. I am immensely grateful to TDB and other sponsoring organizations for understanding this vision, supporting the competition every year, and laying the groundwork to host Robocon in Mongolia for the first time this year.
If these sponsors were solely focused on marketing, they could have chosen to back more popular, widely accessible entertainment shows or programs. However, their decision to invest in Robocon, an event that supports aspiring engineers and emphasizes long-term value and impact, is truly commendable. Such support has a tangible influence on the future of our technological development.”
TDB remains committed to empowering young engineers and advancing Mongolia’s technological future by supporting meaningful initiatives like Robocon.