BRICS countries introduce Universities Association

BRICS state universities have formed an academic association that calls for more international collaboration and invites all foreign institutions to become free members. 

The BRICS+ Universities Association was founded by eight founding universities from Ethiopia, Brazil, Argentina, India, and Russia. In just the first month of the organization’s existence, 125 institutions from 28 different nations have joined.  

The goal of BUA is to provide a channel of communication for academic collaboration between institutions in BRICS+ and other regions. Membership is about useful advantages for organizations, not prestige, according to BUA marketing officer Yulia Yakovleva.

In order to help members make announcements, connect with potential partners, and promote faculty and student interaction as well as student recruitment, the association is creating an online networking platform. 

Brazil, Russia, India, and China formed the BRIC alliance in 2006 to unite significant emerging nations and contest the political and economic dominance of Western Europe and North America. In order to form “BRICS,” South Africa joined the coalition in 2010. 

The countries of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were extended an invitation to join as of January 1, 2024. While the BRICS nations are the main emphasis, institutions from all across the world are welcome to join BUA.  

According to Yakovleva, BUA wants to “become the number one online platform for the communication of the international offices of the universities” and reach 5,000 member universities in the next five years. 

A BUA representative stated that the organization is especially interested in fostering internationalization among its small and medium-sized member institutions, which will have equal rights and access to all BUA resources.   

Institutions can join BUA at no cost, and the founding universities of the association donate voluntarily to the organization. Among them are one each in Ethiopia and Brazil, as well as two state institutions each from Argentina, India, and Russia.  

Finding financial investments and establishing all organizational processes was the most difficult task. We want to raise money in the future,” Yakovleva stated.  

Politics should not be discussed on BUA. BUA is available to this university if it is interested in developing academic cooperation within BRICS+, she continued.  

In November 2024, representatives from the founding institutions will meet in person for the first time during the inaugural BRICS+ summit in New Delhi. The organization plans to host yearly meetings in the BRICS+ nations and cultivate connections with local authorities in the hopes of securing future funding for the group.