The third annual BRICS Summer School commenced on Tuesday, 03 September 2024, with a powerful call to action from Hon. Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities. Addressing participants at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Chikunga underscored the importance of fostering a deep understanding of the economic power of BRICS nations and the need to leverage their collective strengths for enhanced cooperation.
Organised by UJ’s Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) and the South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA), the three-day event is held in collaboration with the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Energy and Water SETA, Confucius Institute DUT, TV BRICS, and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).
The BRICS Summer School brings together students and scholars from BRICS nations and the Global South, aiming to provide an intensive and comprehensive understanding of BRICS. The programme covers the historical context, foundational principles, current initiatives, and future aspirations of BRICS, with a focus on the economic, political, and cultural dimensions of the alliance.
Chikunga emphasised the critical role of skills, knowledge, and cultural exchanges among BRICS Plus youth to deepen and future-proof the alliance. She urged participants to focus on joint skills development initiatives, particularly in STEM, and to explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as economic development, energy, logistics, and food security.
“The School must reflect on how, among ourselves, we should aim to produce what we consume and consume what we produce. Understanding the history of BRICS is crucial in preparing youth to address past injustices,” Chikunga stated.
Prof Victoria Graham, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Administration at UJ, welcomed attendees and highlighted the significance of the Summer School as a platform for educational growth and innovation.
“This is a space for youth to collaborate and be creative, to share a diversity of ideas in an environment where they feel safe. It is all about innovation and societal impact,” Graham remarked.
Raymond Matlala, Executive Chairman of SABYA, articulated the importance of hosting the Summer School in South Africa, citing resource constraints that limited opportunities to send students to China and Russia for the programme. This year’s event features a Model BRICS Simulation, where delegates assume the roles of Heads of State, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and other key positions to debate pressing global issues. The outcomes of this simulation will be presented at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October.
Through UJ, SABYA has secured accreditation for the BRICS Plus Skills Programme, a course that will be certified by UJ. Matlala stressed the importance of creating opportunities for the brightest minds from all member states to discuss and address real-world issues.
The Simulation will focus on the use of local currencies among member states, a topic previously discussed at the BRICS Summit and a key item on the 2024 Summit agenda.
UJ’s Dr Adeoye Akinola praised the IPATC’s role in providing a platform for like-minded individuals to engage and resolve issues affecting youth across the Global South. “Creating a new global order is important. We must respond to the global challenges,” Akinola asserted.
Hon. Mimmy Gondwe, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, affirmed the department’s commitment to developing young leaders who will contribute meaningfully to a more just and equitable world alongside their peers from BRICS Plus countries. “We have to provide a platform for young people to not only dream about the future they desire but to also create that future,” Gondwe emphasised.
Over the next two days, the BRICS Summer School will explore key topics, including BRICS Financial and Economic Cooperation, BRICS Education and Technology Cooperation, the Reform of Multilateral Institutions, and BRICS-African Cooperation.
