India, as part of its BRICS Presidency 2026, hosted the International Governing Board meeting of the BRICS Network University (BRICS NU) and a conference on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems to strengthen cooperation in higher education, research and innovation among member countries.
Organised by the Union Ministry of Education, the two-day event brought together government representatives, university leaders, academics and experts from BRICS nations like Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia,South Africa,Russia, Iran ,and the United Arab Emirates. Discussions focused on expanding academic partnerships, collaborative research, institutional cooperation, student mobility and knowledge exchange.
A key highlight was India’s proposal to introduce Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems as a new International Thematic Group under the BRICS Network University. The proposal received broad support from member countries. Discussions also emphasised the documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge, community ownership, fair benefit-sharing and the ethical use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
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The meeting also reviewed the BRICS Network University Action Plan for 2025–2028, discussed the development of a new website and adopted the BRICS Network University International Governing Board Declaration.
The engagement reaffirmed the commitment of BRICS nations to strengthening higher education, research, innovation and people-to-people exchanges, in line with India’s BRICS Presidency 2026 theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
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