Brics member countries have announced plans to establish a shared digital repository for research and create a platform aimed at supporting youth-led startups. These initiatives were outlined in the New Delhi Declaration adopted on Saturday. Additionally, the grouping will explore a new system for university ranking and evaluation, emphasizing a commitment to strengthening cooperation in the fields of science, education, innovation, and skills development.
Several people-to-people engagements are also planned though the schedule is yet to be announced. Brics nations also encouraged continued organising of the Brics Rectors’ Forum, which brings together university heads and academic leaders to strengthen higher education, scientific research and cross-border partnerships. The declaration encouraged the Brics Network University to “consider the possible inclusion of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group (ITG), in accordance with established governance procedures consistent with the national laws and policies of Brics countries. An academic forum in Lucknow will bring together academics and experts for dialogue and knowledge exchange. A virtual Brics Network University conference will focus on traditional and indigenous knowledge systems in the digital age, while a Brics Young Scientists Forum in Bengaluru aims to promote scientific interaction, knowledge sharing and collaborative research.
A specialised workshop for the ranking system is scheduled between September and December 2026.
The declaration welcomed the outcomes of the 13th Brics Education Ministers’ Meeting held in Bhubaneswar in August and backed efforts to develop a “Brics University Global Ranking and Evaluation System” —proposed in 2023. The Brics Education Olympiad is also being developed and is currently at the “conception stage”. In education, the countries welcomed India’s guiding principles on “Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems”, aimed at identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting traditional and indigenous knowledge through responsible use of digital technologies.
