Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday called on BRICS countries to work together to address common challenges in the education sector, saying issues such as resilience, innovation and sustainability cannot be tackled in isolation.
Addressing the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting in Bhubaneswar, Joshi said India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the principles of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. He called for collective efforts to strengthen education, research and innovation across BRICS so that the education system withstands disruptions.
Stressing that India’s Chairship of BRICS is guided by building resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, Joshi said each of these pillars has particular relevance for the education sector.
On the significance of resilience, Joshi said education systems must be capable of withstanding disruptions caused by pandemics, economic uncertainties, climate-related challenges and the rapid pace of technological change.
On innovation, the minister said education systems cannot afford to remain static. “This is because the world around us is changing rapidly. Education systems must continue to evolve to meet the aspirations of each new generation and prepare our young people for opportunities that may not even exist today,” he said.
Stressing the need for collaboration, Joshi said cooperation and sustainability are essential to effectively address shared challenges.
“More of us can meet these challenges, but none of us can address them in isolation. The knowledge we create, the technology we develop and the institutions we strengthen must serve not only the present generation but also the generations to come,” the Minister said.
The meeting, held under India’s Chairship, was attended by ministers, senior officials and delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
Joshi remarked that education was the foundation of inclusive growth and shared prosperity, and that the adopted Declaration reflected the collective commitment of BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation across the five priority areas. He also stressed on the importance of preserving and promoting traditional and indigenous knowledge systems, observing that innovation and heritage complement one another. He noted that the rich civilisational traditions of BRICS nations presented a unique opportunity to preserve traditional knowledge, study it rigorously, and pass on its value to future generations.
The Minister also highlighted Odisha’s rich legacy as an ancient centre of learning and reflected on India’s enduring civilizational values of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. He emphasised that while nations may differ in their traditions and experiences, their progress was interconnected.
Ministers, senior officials and delegates from BRICS member countries, including Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates attended the Meeting aimed at advancing cooperation under the BRICS Education Track.
The adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration reaffirmed education as a key pillar of BRICS cooperation and outlined a shared roadmap across five priority areas identified under India’s Chairship. The outcomes are as following:
1.Strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): It was agreed to promote universal and inclusive access to quality ECCE, strengthen school readiness, and encourage the use of age-appropriate digital solutions for early learning.
2.Strengthening Cooperation in Skill Development and TVET: The role of the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance (BRICS-TCA) in advancing collaboration was recognised, including through the forthcoming Biennial Progress Report and Compendium of Sustainable Skill Initiatives. The Declaration also acknowledged India’s initiative to undertake an International Skill Gap Study, with participation by interested BRICS members on a voluntary basis.
3.Enhancing Research, Innovation and Start-up Ecosystems: It was agreed to promote joint research, encourage the safe, ethical and human-centred use of Artificial Intelligence in education, strengthen innovation-driven entrepreneurship, and deepen collaboration among higher education institutions, researchers and start-up ecosystems.
4.Advancing Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ): It was agreed to convene meetings of the Working Group to carry forward deliberations on a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, with a view to facilitating greater academic mobility and cooperation.
5.Strengthening Capacity Building for Academic Leadership and Institutional Development: Continued organisation of the BRICS Rectors’ Forum, faculty and leadership exchanges, scholarship programmes with a focus on STEM, and exploratory work towards a BRICS University Global Ranking and Evaluation System were encouraged.
The Meeting also welcomed India’s initiative on the BRICS Guiding Principles on Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and suggested that the BRICS Network University may consider the inclusion of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group.
