The true value of cooperation among BRICS countries can be seen by the level of participation among young people who have the opportunity to travel, learn and gain experiences from other member nations, according to a Russian student studying in Beijing.
BRICS, an emerging-market group originally consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa,was formally launched in 2009, and now has 11 formal members after its latest expansion.
In 2025, ten partner countries including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam joined BRICS. The 18th BRICS Summit is set to take place in India's New Delhi on Sept 12-13, bringing together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, as well as outreach invitees.
Anna Yuschenko, a student at the prestigious Tsinghua University in the Chinese capital, shared her views on the exchange opportunities afforded to her by BRICS, which has allowed her to travel to Brazil and participate in a project focused on poverty reduction and local development.
Speaking with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Yuschenko stated that her cross-border experience across Russia, China and Brazil offers tangible insights into what BRICS cooperation represents beyond official summits and major economic undertakings.
"China provided the educational opportunity. I contributed as a Russian participant and our Brazilian partners shared their local knowledge and experience. The project taught me that poverty cannot be addressed through abstract discussions or by assuming that outsiders already know the solution. We first need to listen to local communities, understand their real needs and then work together. This experience made BRICS cooperation feel much more personal to me. It showed that relations between countries are not limited to meetings between political leaders, they can also create opportunities for students to cross borders, exchange knowledge and to contribute to society," she said.
Yuschenko also believes BRICS can give a stronger voice to the Global South, and stressed the importance of creating a platform for more exchanges which can foster real human connections and enable mutual learning.
"My journey from Russia to China then to Brazil showed me how education can connect BRICS societies and turn the idea of mutual support into a personal experience. Looking ahead to China's BRICS chairmanship in 2027, I would like the next stage of cooperation to become more visible and accessible to young people. We often hear about summit declarations and major economic projects but students also need clear opportunities to participate," she said.
"First, I would like to see a BRICS student mobility program that provides scholarships and makes it easier to recognize university credits. A student should be able to spend a semester in another BRICS country without facing unnecessary academic and administrative barriers. Second, BRICS could establish international youth and innovation teams. Students from different member countries could work together on real challenges including artificial intelligence, climate adaptation, public health and sustainable cities. The strongest projects could receive grants, professional mentoring and internship opportunities at universities, companies or the New Development Bank. Third, language learning and cultural exchange should become more practical and affordable. Short programs and digital platforms could allow students outside major cities to communicate with their peers and learn more about other BRICS societies," she said.
The theme of the upcoming BRICS Summit in India is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Underscoring the global significance of these topics, Yuschenko hopes that BRICS will continue to place young people at the center of future initiatives.
She further explained her view that BRICS should become a network that people can enter, contribute to and help shape.
Youth engagement can redefine BRICS cooperation: Russian student
