The Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH), a partner of TV BRICS, hosted the BRICS International Futurological Forum “Smart Civilisation: Horizontal Connections of BRICS Civil Society Organisations, Universities, and Innovative Companies: the Key to Shaping a Common Future”.

The event lasted two days and was attended by more than 500 participants from 20 countries: employees of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, experts, scientists, representatives of innovative companies, universities, non-profit organisations (NPOs), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from Russia, BRICS countries, the Middle East, and the post-Soviet space.

Andrey Loginov, acting rector of RSUH and co-chair of the forum, as well as guests from India, Brazil, Egypt, China, Iran, Bahrain, and the and the UAE, spoke at the opening of the forum.

“RSUH is implementing educational and research projects with almost all BRICS countries. Plans include two-degree Master’s programmes with the Fluminense Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil; international postgraduate programmes with universities in Iran (for example, with Imam Sadiq University); and the preparation and publication of the Encyclopaedia on Orthodox Religion in Ethiopia with Addis Ababa University. It is planned to further develop expert and analytical communication channels with BRICS countries’ universities for the exchange of ideas. BRICS needs its own infrastructure to unite humanitarian projects of the member countries,” said Andrey Loginov.

Sergey Krikalyov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation in the Field of Space, noted the innovativeness of BRICS as a union of countries in world history.

“If we compare our planet to a ship, it should not have cabins of different classes. All nations have distinctive talents and can make a great contribution to the common future of humanity. Our task is to enable the talents of the BRICS countries to flourish and provide them with opportunities for development. One of the tools for such development is the International Humanitarian Initiative ‘Smart Civilisation’,” he said.

Sergey Krikalyov also announced the establishment of the BRICS Aerospace Club, aimed at bringing the humanitarian cooperation of the BRICS member states in the aviation and space spheres to a new level.

Forum participants from other countries emphasised in their speeches the irreversibility of changes and the alternatives of a multipolar world order based on mutual respect for the identities and interests of states and nations.

“We look at the BRICS as a union that will exist for a very long time and positively influence the entire system of international relations. We need to collaborate within the framework of common interests. This is the approach we are now seeing in BRICS under the Russian chairmanship, and India fully supports it,” Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, emphasised in her speech.

Su-Sherpa of Egypt in the BRICS Hazem Zaki highlighted the challenges facing the BRICS countries and the global South and outlined ways to overcome them through the countries’ cooperation in energy and technology development: “We in BRICS are moving towards a promising future. I think that countries should focus more on technological projects and sustainable development, which will be a great contribution to the development of the humanitarian infrastructure of the association. For example, joint production of renewable energy sources.”

Bahrain-Russian Friendship and Business Association President George Zreikat suggested the need to establish humanitarian centres in the BRICS countries, which could become platforms for mutual cooperation and the formation of an agenda that takes into account the interests and identities of the member countries.

Marta Fernandez, Director of the BRICS Policy Centre in Brazil, also said there is a need to maintain partnerships between universities and non-profit organisations of BRICS countries to shape and promote alternative narratives: “We must look at modernization as a free choice, not as a model imposed on us strictly according to American and Western standards.”

The BRICS International Futurological Forum “Smart Civilisation” was held under Russia’s presidency of BRICS in 2024. The event will become a permanent intellectual platform for the non-profit sector, universities, and innovative companies to discuss complementary scenarios of the future and their achievements in accordance with the BRICS agenda.

Photo: ANO Smart Civilisation