About the project: Principles of ranking universities in the BRICS countries

In June 2023, the Ministers of Education of the BRICS countries acknowledged the importance of exploring approaches to creating rankings and evaluations of universities within the member states. On June 11, 2024, during the conclusion of the 11th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education in Kazan, the participants reaffirmed their support for the idea of establishing evaluation and ranking tools for universities. They also proposed the initiative to hold a series of thematic workshops involving relevant authorities, professional organizations, and experts to examine best practices and to thoroughly discuss potential principles and mechanisms for organizing such activities.

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation organized the first two such workshops (September 17–18 and October 18). These workshops were attended by representatives of relevant education ministries and expert communities from the BRICS countries.

The workshops sparked significant interest across all BRICS nations. All participating countries, without exception, emphasized the importance of creating a BRICS-specific university ranking, as existing global university rankings fail to reflect the unique characteristics and development goals of BRICS countries. During the workshops, at the initiative of the Russian side, several documents were discussed, refined with contributions from all member countries, and agreed upon based on consensus:

• Review of “National University Ranking Systems in the BRICS Countries”;
• “Rating principles of the BRICS countries”, establishing a common understanding of the goals and rules for developing ratings;
• The Russian version of the pilot ranking of universities in the BRICS countries based on the “Three Missions of the University” family of rankings (the ranking was prepared in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation).

The parties agreed to continue their work on a regular basis. Specifically, efforts will focus on advancing the BRICS pilot ranking, developing standards for information about BRICS universities, formulating Rules for Creating and Applying Rankings (based on the already agreed-upon Principles), and compiling a catalog of university evaluation criteria. This commitment was formalized in the Declaration adopted at the XVI BRICS Summit: *"We support ongoing dialogue on the evaluation systems for university performance, taking into account the specific features of national education systems in BRICS countries."*

This website serves as the official platform for the BRICS Seminars on Ranking Systems.