3rd BRICS International Youth Project Lab Opens in Moscow

On 8 April the 3rd BRICS International Youth Project Lab (BRICS Project Lab 2024) opened at the MGIMO University. The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov and representatives from the government authorities, public organizations, and the scientific community.

MGIMO Vice-Rector for Science and Research Andrey Baykov welcomed the participants and guests and emphasized the importance of joint work in BRICS and the role of academic and youth diplomacy in the organization. According to A.Baykov, expansion of BRICS is a proof of the growing global importance of the organization, which seeks a more just world order, economic growth, and social development for every region of the world.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Russia’s BRICS Sherpa Sergey Ryabkov expressed his support for the Project Lab and spoke of the importance of public diplomacy and social and humanitarian cooperation within BRICS. Such work is especially relevant because of the global political trends: the growing role of the global majority and the emergence of alternative centres of power in light of the inefficiency of the existing system of global governance.

S.Ryabkov emphasised the true multilateralism and global nature of BRICS, praising the 2023 leaders Summit in Johannesburg, attended by more than 60 heads of states. S.Ryabkov also drew special attention to the Russia’s BRICS Chairship priorities.

President of the ‘BRICS. The World of Traditions’ Regional Public Organization Lyudmila Sekacheva provided a detailed report on Russia’s involvement in the international socio-cultural programme ‘BRICS Peoples Choose Life’, presented a plan for youth cooperation, and awarded certificates of merit to the partners who made the Indian programme at MGIMO possible during the 2nd BRICS Project Lab Gala event in 2023.

The founder of BRICS Project Lab and Leading Expert at the International Activities Department of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Anastasia Ilyushina spoke about the youth track of Russia’s BRICS Chairship and the importance of the BRICS Project Lab.

The BRICS Lab, which will be held at MGIMO from 8 to 12 April, is a forum for young researchers and practitioners to learn more about BRICS activities. This year, 110 participants from 10 BRICS universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa were selected from a pool of more than 300 applicants.

The Lab will focus on education, tourism, the arts, science, medicine, Internet technology, space, energy, the environment, infrastructure development, and the law. Participants will work on innovative projects that can be applied for further development within BRICS, with the best projects to be sent to Russian agencies and non-governmental organizations.

BRICS Project Lab initiatives will be presented at the BRICS Youth Summit in Ulyanovsk in July.

The Roscongress Foundation manages the events of Russia’s BRICS Chairship.