What happened (20–21 July 2026): BRICS NU conference and International Governing Board updates

The Ministry of Education organised a virtual BRICS Network University (BRICS NU) conference during India’s BRICS Chairship 2026 on 20 July 2026. The conference theme was “Need and Challenges of Preservation of Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Digital Age”.

The BRICS NU conference was divided into three sessions:

Mapping, Identification and Systematic Documentation of Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems across BRICS CountriesPreservation and Protection of Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge SystemsRole of Digital Technologies in Preserving Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

During these sessions, subject experts from India and BRICS member countries discussed mapping, identification, systematic documentation, preservation, protection, and use of digital technologies for traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. The Ministry of Education shared with BRICS members a set of guiding ideas titled “Guiding Principles on Strengthening Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge System”.

An International Governing Board (IGB) meeting of the BRICS NU took place virtually on 21 July 2026. The IGB meeting included updates from board members on collaborative activities among 178 participating universities across 11 International Thematic Groups (ITGs).