Different aspects related to the economy of the five countries that make up the BRICS were debated and analyzed throughout this week during the Research Seminar and Winter School organized by the BRICS Network University (BRICS NU). The activities, hosted at Unicamp's Institute of Economics (IE), included the participation of 15 teachers and 60 students linked to educational institutions belonging to the block. BRICS NU was created in 2016 at the initiative of the Ministries of Education of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with the purpose of expanding scientific and academic collaboration between universities in these nations.
The closing of the Research Seminar and the Winter School would take place this Friday (9), with three conferences that would deal with the following themes: “Brazilian culture and society”, “Youth in the BRICS countries” and “Inequalities in the BRICS countries ”. According to IE-Unicamp professor Bruno Conti, one of the organizers of the events, this was the first time that Brazil hosted a Research Seminar, as well as the first time that the Winter School was held in the context of BRICS NU .
In addition to teachers and students from the five countries in the bloc, the events also attracted interested parties from other nations, such as Germany, Austria, the United States, Guatemala, Colombia, Iran and Tajikistan. “In total, 18 countries were represented here, which made us very satisfied,” said Conti. The activities, continued the professor, had the full support of the Rectory and the Executive Board of International Relations (DERI) at Unicamp. “We were able to offer accommodation for foreign students and pay for the travel of a representative from each university. The partner educational institutions, in turn, paid for their students’ tickets.”
A rich aspect of collaboration between BRICS universities, said Conti, is the fact that the bloc's countries have differences, but also similarities that deserve to be researched. “Brazil, South Africa and India have a common colonial past, which means that they have a very different insertion in the international division of labor, for example, from European countries. On the other hand, Brazil and South Africa are currently experiencing the same phenomenon, which is deindustrialization. These and other issues were discussed during the Research Seminar and Winter School,” he reported.
Cooperation between BRICS universities, in the opinion of the IE-Unicamp professor, opens up new perspectives for research carried out by these educational institutions. “We must continue to collaborate with Germany, the United States and France, but the partnership with our BRICS peers opens up other fields of investigation, which are important for us to reflect on the challenges common to members of the bloc. As a South African colleague said, BRICS NU has to reshape global knowledge, given that this knowledge is hierarchical. Normally, the world listens more to what is said by central countries than by peripheral countries. We need to make an effort to change this situation.”
Challenges and opportunities
IE-Unicamp professor Célio Hiratuka, who also organized the events, gave one of the lectures on the program. According to him, the countries that make up the BRICS have very different structures, but they are also complementary in several aspects. He recalled that Brazil, Russia and South Africa have important natural resources, while India and China, especially the latter, suffer from a shortage of raw materials. “In this aspect, we need to choose between imprisoning ourselves in an asymmetrical relationship or using differences to develop ourselves”, he analyzed.
Advancing the direction and a more symmetrical relationship, noted Hiratuka, requires the definition of a discussion strategy that involves both the private sector and the government of the five countries. “The actions of the BRICS meant that, during the period in which the countries were organizing themselves for this, it achieved relative economic power. Currently, there are many internal disagreements. However, the bloc has great growth potential and could become an important commercial and political force”, he considered.
Asked to look at Brazil's role within this context, the professor said that the country has more challenges than opportunities ahead. “One challenge is related to the position of the current Brazilian government, which has almost automatically aligned itself with the United States. This may cause us to miss out on some opportunities. An example is the capture of investments and financing by new funds. I hope this changes, but the influence that BRICS is having on Brazilian foreign policy is reduced. We have to maintain good relations with the United States, but we also need to invest in other areas.”
BRICS NU is organized into six strategic axes: BRICS Studies; IT and information security; Ecology and climate change; Economy; Energy; Water resources and pollution treatment (https://nu-brics.ru). Unicamp participates in the BRICS Economics and Studies axes.
