India hosted the BRICS Network University conference and the International Governing Board (IGB) meeting during its BRICS Presidency 2026. The meetings are relevant for UPSC because they connect India’s multilateral diplomacy with higher education, research cooperation, and the protection of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems.

What happened

The Union Ministry of Education convened the IGB meeting of the BRICS Network University in virtual mode on July 21, 2026, after the BRICS Network University Conference on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems on July 20, 2026. The meeting brought together government representatives, university leaders, academics, and experts from BRICS member countries.

The ministry said the deliberations focused on stronger academic cooperation, collaborative research, institutional partnerships, and knowledge exchange. India stated that the meetings were part of the theme of its BRICS Presidency: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."

Background and earlier position

The BRICS Network University is an institutional cooperation platform among universities from BRICS countries. Before the 2026 meeting, member universities were already sharing academic cooperation activities and updates through the network, but the traditional-knowledge track had not yet been institutionalised as a dedicated thematic area under the BRICS Network University framework.

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