Mongolian palaeontologist Dr Bolortsetseg Minjin, known for her work to protect and repatriate fossils and expand dinosaur-themed science, received a state honour medal from her country in September.
After receiving the award from the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, Minjin dedicated the honour to everyone who has helped her support Mongolian palaeontology over the years.
Minjin is a resident researcher associated with the American Museum of Natural Heritage in New York and founder of the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs in Umnugovi in Mongolia. She previously received Mongolia’s Polar Star medal in recognition of her work to recover and repatriate Mongolian dinosaur fossils that were illegally being exported, most notably a Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton.
Delegates attending the 7 th International Palaeontology Congress in Cape Town can learn more from Minjin’s experiences. As a keynote speaker in the Communicating Palaeosciences Symposium on 2 December 2026 she will share insights into how she helped build awareness around Mongolia’s dinosaur heritage.
The Communicating Palaeosciences Symposium will bring together researchers and science communicators across the world to explore how fossils, human evolution and the deep past can be communicated beyond traditional academic audiences.
“We will be focusing on how palaeontology is communicated to the public – and how it can become more inclusive, culturally sensitive and relevant to society,” says symposium convenor science communication expert Dr Marina Joubert of Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
“Through our engagement with palaeontologists actively engaged in science communication, we hope to uncover good practices and strategies for more effective communication,” says co-convener Prof Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan of the University of Cape Town, and chair of the 7 th IPC organising committee.
Topics include ways to decolonise palaeontology, misinformation in palaeoanthropology, children's natural-history education and the use of museums and exhibitions to spark public curiosity. During the symposium, Dr Frederick Manthi of the National Museums of Kenya will also deliver a keynote address. He will focus on the promotion of palaeoscience in Africa, focusing on the Kenya experience.
The Communicating Palaeosciences Symposium at IPC7 is presented with support from the Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST) and the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).