India, Russia to develop joint university ranking, expand to BRICS

India and Russia are jointly creating a university-level ranking system. The initiative will be tested between the two nations before a potential expansion across BRICS, aiming to foster academic collaboration and technological self-reliance.

India and Russia are jointly developing a university-level ranking system that could eventually be expanded across BRICS nations, according to Debjit Chakraborty, Director of the Chamber for Indo-Russo Technology Collaboration. Speaking in an exclusive interview at the TV BRICS studio during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Chakraborty said the initiative is being developed in collaboration with a leading Moscow-based university and will initially be tested between India and Russia before being opened to wider BRICS participation, as reported by TV BRICS.

The proposed ranking framework is part of broader efforts by the Indo-Russia Innopraktika Technology Hub and its partners to create common technological products and institutional mechanisms that can strengthen cooperation among BRICS countries.

Expanding Bilateral Tech Cooperation

Chakraborty said India and Russia are currently working together in several advanced technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, health technology, educational technology and trusted digital infrastructure.

Discussions are also underway on green energy projects, with some initiatives already making substantial progress.

Aiming for Technological Self-Reliance

According to him, the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to building indigenous technological capabilities and reducing dependence on external systems.

He noted that solutions jointly developed by India and Russia could later be adopted by other BRICS members as well as countries across the Global South.

A Broader Vision for BRICS+

"Everything we are doing is intended to encompass the entire BRICS+ community, not just India and Russia," Chakraborty said, underlining the broader vision behind the initiative.

He added that projects such as the BRICS+ Tech Forum and sovereign technology partnerships have the potential to strengthen technological self-reliance among member countries and foster greater innovation-led cooperation.

Fostering a Common Education Ecosystem

The proposed university ranking system is expected to promote academic collaboration, research partnerships and knowledge exchange across BRICS institutions.

Experts believe the initiative could eventually contribute to the creation of a common innovation and education ecosystem spanning BRICS nations and emerging economies in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

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