– Experts and specialists:

• Information security integration among BRICS nations is an effective way to ensure cybersecurity.
• BRICS nations need to strategically adapt to maintain economic growth and enhance cooperation.
• Collaboration in technology and innovation is a key step toward fostering sustainable development.
• Increasing investments in digital infrastructure and clean energy is essential for the bloc.
• Unlocking the potential of the private sector is crucial to boosting developmental investments within BRICS nations.

TRENDS Research & Advisory held an extensive symposium titled “Strategic Partnership Among BRICS Countries: Economic, Humanitarian, Technological, and Informational Dimensions” on the sidelines of its participation as a strategic partner in the “The BRICS Era: New Horizon for International Management” conference, organized by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration at its headquarters in Moscow.

Moderated by Dr. Aurika Shavtikova, Professor of Oriental Studies and Media Researcher at Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, the symposium featured a distinguished group of experts, specialists, and academics from BRICS nations. Participants emphasized that integration in information security and data protection among BRICS nations is the most effective way to ensure cyberspace security. They also noted that the bloc’s nations need to strategically adapt to maintain stable economic growth and enhance multifaceted cooperation.

Speakers highlighted the urgent need to expand technological and innovation cooperation among BRICS nations as a crucial step toward sustainable development and technological advancement. They called for increased investment in digital infrastructure and clean energy, which would enhance the bloc’s global market competitiveness. Additionally, they recommended unlocking the potential of the private sector to promote developmental investment and build balanced relationships with global economic blocs.

Opportunities and challenges

The symposium began with remarks by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council, who stated that the world is witnessing rapid technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While these developments create significant opportunities for the international management of information security, they also introduce numerous challenges to information security management systems.

He emphasized the critical role of cybersecurity in supporting and safeguarding AI-driven development, ensuring effective protection of national data and information from security threats, whether internal or external, intentional or accidental.

Cyber protection

Dr. Al-Kuwaiti highlighted how the AI revolution has profoundly transformed the global digital management systems, driving the need for a comprehensive international business ecosystem. This ecosystem must be built on trustworthy national digital platforms, ensuring the availability of highly skilled human capital, alongside robust cyber protection to shield management systems from disruptions or cyberattacks.

He stressed that protecting institutions and administrative systems requires enhancing cybersecurity frameworks within BRICS nations, keeping pace with rapid advancements in this field. He also underlined the importance of engaging both society and the private sector in cybersecurity efforts, while strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries in technology and cybersecurity knowledge exchange. Such collaboration, he noted, is essential for enhancing the bloc’s competitiveness, securing its management systems, and supporting sustainable development initiatives.

Strategic alliances

Khaled El-Sayed, Co-Founder of Synerjies Center for International & Strategic Studies, Egypt, stated that given the rising protectionism, the evolution of international alliances, and ongoing economic uncertainty, it is crucial for BRICS nations to strategically adapt to maintain stable economic growth and strengthen cooperation within the bloc.

He explained that BRICS nations must explore how to navigate shifts in the global trade system, while simultaneously enhancing intra-bloc economic relations and expanding strategic alliances to address broader geopolitical transformations. He added that BRICS nations also need to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, and economic development, reinforcing their role in shaping a new global order.

Promoting technology and innovation

Alok Kumar, Director of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry, India, emphasized that the BRICS serves as a platform for cooperation among nations with aligned political, economic, and security interests. He highlighted that relations within the bloc are based on the principles of non-interference, equality, and financial and social cooperation for the benefit of humanity.

Kumar noted that technological and innovation cooperation among BRICS nations represents a crucial step toward fostering sustainable development and technological progress. He stressed that this collaboration is a key pillar of the BRICS strategy for advancing technology and innovation across various fields. Additionally, he underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in security, food, and energy, as well as in artificial intelligence and nanotechnology.

Sustainable energy solutions

Dr. Kelly Alexander, Gordon Institute of Business Science, South Africa, highlighted that the evolution of international management principles in BRICS nations should be built on ethical, sustainable, and future-oriented foundations for digital and technological development. She emphasized that responsible AI holds vast potential for driving economic and social progress within BRICS countries. However, its success depends on access to reliable and renewable energy sources.

Alexander explained that by integrating AI with sustainable energy solutions, BRICS nations can lead a digital transformation that is not only economically competitive but also inclusive, ethical, and environmentally responsible. This approach, she noted, would ensure long-term social and economic development that respects both national priorities and global commitments.

Unified carbon market

Dr. Captain (Retd) Andy Shichen Tian, Founder and President of Global Governance Institution, China, proposed establishing a resource-sharing center for lunar exploration to consolidate lunar infrastructure among BRICS countries, launching joint climate monitoring missions, and creating a unified carbon market that leverages AI to track carbon emissions.

Tian added that by integrating scalable satellite technology with predictive AI analytics, BRICS nations can strengthen climate resilience, advance United Nations sustainable development goals, and lead global efforts in sustainable resource management.

Future prospects for integration

Hamdan Al-Hamdani, Researcher, TRENDS Research & Advisory, highlighted three key pillars for BRICS integration: (1) expanding intra-BRICS trade, which strengthens ties between the bloc’s markets; (2) empowering the private sector, which drives the growth of developmental investments; and (3) building balanced relationships with global economic blocs, which mitigates the impact of global competition on economic growth within BRICS.

Al-Hamdani noted that BRICS aims to build balanced partnerships with other economic blocs, which would create opportunities for global trade prosperity and help counteract the effects of economic fragmentation. Additionally, this approach would support the development of advanced and reliable payment systems, facilitating global capital flows and paving the way for a future centered on cooperation and integration rather than conflict and division.

Research and knowledge partnership

On the sidelines of the symposium and their participation in the “The BRICS Era: New Horizon for International Management” conference, the TRENDS Research & Advisory team explored opportunities for research and knowledge collaboration with a number of experts, academics, and specialists across various fields. Among the distinguished participants were H.E. Nazih El-Nagari, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Russian Federation; Dr. Vladimir Davydov, Professor of Economics and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Professor Haneen Shoaib, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the University of Business and Technology in Jeddah, KSA; and Viktor Efremov, Professor of Management and Economics at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.