Building cohesion, one Bric at a time
SANDTON – The Brics Academic Forum provided opportunities for academics to discuss pressing issues in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The tenth annual Brics Academic Forum was hosted in Sandton this year when tops academics from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa gathered to discuss their most pressing challenges.
The forum provides the developing countries with the opportunity to come up with concrete solutions to problems which they face including water crises, wage strikes or literacy statistics. The theme for this year is Envisioning inclusive development through a socially responsive economy.
Professor Ari Sitas, the chairperson for the South African Brics Think Tank said that the forum had facilitated many very vigorous debates over four days which have brought the Brics partners to an interesting consensus. “We are a peculiar family, we are not neighbours literally but we are beginning to learn how to be neighbours in spirit and commitment and action.”
The debates focused on the five key areas of economic prosperity, social protection, enhancing education, peace and security and looking after commons.
Georgy Toloraya, the representative from Russia said, “We have come a long way, many of these ideas have originated from experts, and over the years we have created a network of experts. Now we have created a hopeful signature for forward-thinking research.”
The delegates agreed that out-of-the-box and ambitious ideas would be necessary in order to create solutions for some of the problems they face, even if they are not necessarily practical for the time being.
Ivan Oliviera, the representative from Brazil, said, “As academics we need to think outside the box but we also need to be attached to the reality we have and bring proposals that are concrete so that the BTTC [Brics Think Tank Council] can bring forward more research-based policy-orientated studies to help our countries even more.”
Sarah Mosoetsa, the CEO of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, said that during the forum, 20 recommendations had been decided upon which will be submitted to the Brics Summit in July.
Details: South African Brics Think Tank 011 480 2300.
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