BRIEF HISTORY OF BRICS
BRICS is a partnership of five major emerging markets and developing countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. These countries collectively represent over 42% of the global population, 30% of the world’s territory, 23% of GDP and 18% of global trade.
BRICS was founded on historical bonds of friendship, solidarity, and shared interests, with a commitment to restructuring the global political, economic, and financial architecture to be fair, balanced, and representative. The first informal meeting involving Brazil, Russia, India (BRIC) took place in 2006. South Africa joined BRIC in 2010 which rebranded the Acronym to (BRICS). These powerful developing nations since held summits to discuss and collaborate on various matters.
BRICS has three main pillars of cooperation namely, Political/security, Financial/economical & Cultural/people-to-people. The above-mentioned pillars shape the processes of BRICS and its subordinate BRICS SC.
HISTORY OF BRICS STUDENT COMMISSION (BRICS SC)
The BRICS Student Commission was formed at the University of Zululand in 2023 before expanding to other universities in South Africa and BRICS+ countries. It is a product of the BRICS Universities League which was officially founded in Beijing on October 18, 2015, in accordance with Article 63 of the VII BRICS Summit Ufa Declaration titled "The Initiative to Support the Establishment of the BRICS Universities League."
This initiative, led by the education authorities of BRICS nations such as China's Ministry of Education and Russia's Ministry of Education and Science, seeks to bring together prominent universities from BRICS countries. Its objectives include conducting collaborative research and jointly nurturing high-caliber professionals. Serving as a platform for both bilateral and multilateral exchanges among BRICS universities.
It also serves as a crucial mechanism for enhancing cooperation in higher education and cultural exchanges within BRICS+ countries. Furthermore, it functions as an international think tank for policy research among BRICS+ countries.
Vision
The vision of BRICS Student Commission is to implement the global BRICS mandate within academic institutions. This contextualization entails promoting a more equitable, fair, balanced, just and representative global political, economic and financial system in the academic space.
Mission
The mission of BRICS Student Commission is to be an action-based continuity of the global BRICS agenda within higher learning institutions and become an awareness creating organ for the discussions of BRICS, its values, and work.
Purpose
To be an awareness creating organ at the Universities and within broader society for discussion of BRICS, its values and its work.
To promote and facilitate the engagement of students in their communities.
Serve as a platform for bilateral and multilateral dialogue among BRICS+ universities.
As a platform to expand talent training, academic exchanges and international cooperation among BRICS+ universities, cultivate innovative talents with an international perspective.
To provide intellectual support for BRICS+. Cultivating political, economic development and cooperation through joint research.
Play a role in enhancing BRICS cooperation and enhancing educational exchanges by facilitating networking between students and other persons and bodies that may be relevant.
Values
Respect for all diversity including but not limited to opinions, politics, peoples, religions and cultures;
Integrity and honesty;
Consistently high standards;
Dedicated to the upliftment of all
The values of the BRICS Student Commission are also enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the BRICS constitutive act, the African Charter and “Universal Declaration on Human Rights”.
BRICS SC MEMBERS COMPOSITION
The BRICS SC has a maximum of Seven (7) elective members in the National structure as well as Seven (7) elective members in each university. Furthermore, within these structures there are committees comprised by students, academics, government and business officials.
The institutional executive committees are structured similarly to the national executive committee to ensure procedural uniformity & efficient management, as follows:
President
Vice President
Secretary
Deputy Secretary
Treasurer
Peace, Security & Human Rights officer
Marketing & Public Relations officer
Furthermore, there are several action based committees within institutional structures such as; Academic, Social transformation, Disciplinary etc. These committees are solution driven to ensure the smooth running of BRICS SC processes.
