At the 13th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education, held under India's chairmanship in the city of Bhubaneswar, a final document was adopted that sets the vector for the association's educational cooperation over the coming years. The central element of the declaration, along with the development of preschool education and vocational training, was the decision to commence practical work on the establishment of a global ranking and assessment system for BRICS universities.
The topic of a BRICS ranking was first raised at the 2023 meeting at the initiative of South Africa. Since then, substantial work has been carried out under the chairmanships of Russia, then Brazil, and India.
As stated in the final declaration, the ministers "call for preparatory work to be undertaken on the development" of a university assessment mechanism. The system is intended to take into account the specific characteristics and priorities of higher education in the BRICS countries, which should serve as an alternative to existing Western rankings that often fail to reflect the realities of emerging markets and the unique educational models of the association's member states.
Within the framework of this decision, the meeting participants took note of the proposal of the Russian Federation to organize a specialized seminar. The event, dedicated to elaborating approaches to the new ranking, is scheduled for the period from September to December 2026. This seminar is expected to become a key platform for discussing assessment methodology, quality criteria, and data collection mechanisms for the future system.
The adoption of this provision marks a transition from declaratory statements to concrete steps towards the formation of an independent educational infrastructure for BRICS. The establishment of proprietary university assessment instruments is regarded as an important step towards strengthening academic sovereignty and enhancing the global competitiveness of the higher education systems of the member states.
The document also emphasizes that work on the ranking will be carried out in close conjunction with other initiatives, including the development of the BRICS Network University and support for academic mobility programmes.
The first versions of the pilot BRICS ranking were prepared by the Russian side in 2024–2025. They are based on the fundamental methodological approaches of the Moscow International Ranking "Three University Missions." The pilot project was discussed with the participation of all BRICS countries. On the basis of this project, the BRICS Ranking Principles were proposed and discussed with the participation of all member states of the association. The adopted principles may be applied to all academic rankings of BRICS.