BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting Concludes in Bhubaneswar, Emphasizing People-Centric Approach
In a significant development, the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with the adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration. The meeting, chaired by Union Minister for Education Shri Pralhad Joshi, reaffirmed India’s commitment to a people-centric and humanity-first approach to BRICS cooperation.
India’s Commitment to BRICS Cooperation
Reiterating India’s commitment to working closely with all BRICS partners, Minister Joshi expressed confidence that the momentum generated during the meeting would translate into meaningful action. He emphasized that education systems must prepare young people for emerging opportunities while remaining firmly rooted in human values. The Minister added that learners, teachers, researchers, and young people should remain at the centre of policymaking and international cooperation.
Education as a Foundation of Inclusive Growth
Shri Joshi noted that education was the foundation of inclusive growth and shared prosperity. He stressed that the adopted Declaration reflected the collective commitment of BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation across the five priority areas. The Minister also highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting traditional and indigenous knowledge systems, observing that innovation and heritage complement one another.
Odisha’s Legacy as a Centre of Learning
The Minister also highlighted Odisha’s rich legacy as an ancient centre of learning. Reflecting on India’s enduring civilizational values of “Atithi Devo Bhava” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, he emphasized that while nations may differ in their traditions and experiences, their progress was interconnected.
BRICS Education Track: A Shared Roadmap
The adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration reaffirmed education as a key pillar of BRICS cooperation. The Declaration outlined a shared roadmap across five priority areas identified under India’s Chairship, including:
- Strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): The meeting agreed to promote universal and inclusive access to quality ECCE, strengthen school readiness, and encourage the use of age-appropriate digital solutions for early learning.
- Strengthening Cooperation in Skill Development and TVET: The role of the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance (BRICS-TCA) in advancing collaboration was recognized, including through the forthcoming Biennial Progress Report and Compendium of Sustainable Skill Initiatives.
- Enhancing Research, Innovation, and Start-up Ecosystems: The meeting agreed to promote joint research, encourage the safe, ethical, and human-centred use of Artificial Intelligence in education, strengthen innovation-driven entrepreneurship, and deepen collaboration among higher education institutions, researchers, and start-up ecosystems.
- Advancing Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ): The meeting agreed to convene meetings of the Working Group to carry forward deliberations on a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, with a view to facilitating greater academic mobility and cooperation.
- Strengthening Capacity Building for Academic Leadership and Institutional Development: The meeting encouraged continued organization of the BRICS Rectors’ Forum, faculty and leadership exchanges, scholarship programmes with a focus on STEM, and exploratory work towards a BRICS University Global Ranking and Evaluation System.
India’s Chairship 2026: A New Era of Cooperation
The meeting also welcomed India’s initiative on the BRICS Guiding Principles on Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The BRICS Network University was suggested to consider the inclusion of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group.
Next Steps
The Ministry of Education hosted the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, on August 5, 2026, in Bhubaneswar. The discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment of member countries towards advancing inclusive, resilient, and future-ready education systems through greater cooperation, innovation, and knowledge exchange.
India will continue to host BRICS Ministerial Meetings across various sectors during its Chairship, culminating in the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026.