IMPRI Impact And Policy Research Institute

Policy Update
Ninchen Tamang

Abstract

India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship has placed education on a sustained calendar of engagements, with the first and second Senior Officials’ Meetings held in April, followed by the BRICS Network University Conference and International Governing Board Meeting in July, the BRICS Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Symposium in August, and the third Senior Officials’ Meeting and 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting in Bhubaneswar from 5–7 August 2026. The ministerial meeting concluded with the adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration (BRICS Education Ministers, 2026).

The 2026 Education Track shows some movement from broad commitments towards more defined institutional processes. The Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) agenda, proposals concerning the governance and development of the BRICS Network University, and India’s initiative on traditional and indigenous knowledge systems have acquired greater institutional definition through meetings, proposals and agreed outcomes. However, important questions concerning implementation, financing and institutional continuity remain unresolved. India’s priority for the remainder of its chairship should therefore be to translate these proposals into operational arrangements and ensure that these initiatives continue under the 2027 Chinese chairship.

Keywords: BRICS, education cooperation, India’s Chairship, mutual recognition of qualifications, BRICS Network University, academic mobility, Global South

Introduction

BRICS education cooperation predates 2026. India has chaired the bloc multiple times, including in 2016 and 2021, when Education Ministers’ declarations were adopted (BRICS Education Ministers, 2026). The 2026 Declaration therefore builds on an established education track rather than creating one from scratch. What has changed is BRICS’ expanded membership and the wider institutional agenda surrounding education. India’s 2026 chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflects the people-centric and humanity-first approach associated with the 2025 BRICS Summit (Ministry of Education, 2026a).

Education is strategically significant for India because it combines its previous leadership in the BRICS education track with domestic reforms such as the National Education Policy 2020 and platforms such as SWAYAM and NIPUN Bharat. It also provides a practical area for cooperation among diverse BRICS members through qualifications recognition, academic mobility, research and skills development.

Background

The education track unfolded over several months rather than through a single ministerial meeting. The Ministry of Education held the first and second BRICS Senior Officials’ Meetings on 7 and 28 April 2026. These were followed by the BRICS Network University Conference and International Governing Board Meeting on 20-21 July, and the BRICS TVET Symposium and Joint Management Committee meeting in New Delhi on 3-4 August (Ministry of Education, 2026b). The third Senior Officials’ Meeting was held in Bhubaneswar on 5 August before the ministerial meeting on 7 August (Ministry of Education, 2026a).

The 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting was chaired by Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi. The principal outcome was a shared roadmap covering five broad areas: Strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN); Skill development and Cooperation under the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance; Collaborative Research, Innovation and Start-ups; Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ); and Capacity Building for Academic Leadership and Institutional Development(BRICS Education Ministers, 2026). Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems were addressed separately through India’s Guiding Principles initiative and a proposal for their inclusion as an additional BRICS Network University thematic group.

India also introduced Model BRICS as a student-focused initiative to be organised alongside BRICS ministerial meetings, aimed at familiarising young people with BRICS processes, diplomacy and consensus-building (Ministry of Education, 2026b).

ANALYSIS

Geopolitical and Strategic Shifts

The most important strategic shift is institutional rather than rhetorical. The 2026 education track connects school education, TVET, higher education, research and academic mobility within one framework. This gives education cooperation greater economic relevance because it links learning outcomes with skills, qualifications and workforce mobility.

The BRICS Network University is particularly important. The July 2026 conference focused on mapping, documenting, preserving and responsibly disseminating traditional and indigenous knowledge. It also emphasised ethical governance, community ownership, equitable benefit-sharing and responsible use of emerging technologies (BRICS Network University, 2026a). The International Governing Board subsequently adopted its own declaration and reviewed the Network University’s 2025-2028 Action Plan (BRICS Network University International Governing Board, 2026).

These developments suggest a possible transition in the Network University from primarily facilitating academic exchange to supporting more structured institutional cooperation. However, the effectiveness of this shift will depend on whether proposals developed through the Network University receive sustained funding, participation and institutional follow-through.

Economic Implications and Opportunities

The clearest economic opportunity is the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications of the proposed framework. The issue predates India’s chairship, and the 2026 Declaration commits the Working Group to continue deliberations on an MoU on MRQ with the objective of facilitating greater academic mobility and cooperation (BRICS Education Ministers, 2026).

The importance of MRQ goes beyond administrative convenience. Recognition of qualifications can reduce barriers to student mobility, professional training and cross-border skills cooperation. For BRICS economies with different accreditation and qualification systems, however, implementation will require compatible standards and clear national procedures.

The TVET agenda provides a second practical opportunity. The BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance is expected to produce a Biennial Progress Report and Compendium of Sustainable Skill Initiatives, while India has proposed an International Skill Gap Study with voluntary participation by BRICS members (Ministry of Education, 2026a). These initiatives could make education cooperation more closely connected to labour-market needs rather than limiting it to academic exchanges.

Challenges and Structural Impediments

The MRQ process also demonstrates the slow pace of institutionalisation within BRICS. The 2026 Declaration does not announce a completed agreement. Instead, it calls for further Working Group meetings to continue deliberations on an MoU (BRICS Education Ministers, 2026). The central challenge is therefore no longer simply identifying the need for qualifications recognition but converting negotiations into an implementable framework.

Institutional continuity is another concern. The BRICS Network University’s July meeting reviewed its Action Plan and considered measures to strengthen academic mobility, institutional cooperation and collaborative research (BRICS Network University International Governing Board, 2026). Yet these mechanisms still depend heavily on continued participation by universities and national authorities. Without predictable coordination and financing, individual initiatives risk remaining project-based rather than becoming permanent BRICS institutions.

Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems present a different governance challenge. The July conference explicitly identified risks surrounding responsible dissemination, community ownership and benefit-sharing (BRICS Network University, 2026a). These issues cannot be resolved through academic cooperation alone. They require safeguards concerning consent, ownership, documentation and the use of knowledge for research or commercial purposes.

India’s Role and Strategic Imperatives

India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship, guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” places people and human development at the centre of multilateral cooperation. This approach can be viewed through the lens of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, reflecting India’s longstanding emphasis on interconnectedness. Education fits within this broader vision, drawing on India’s historical legacy as a centre of learning and knowledge.

At the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting in Bhubaneswar, Union Minister for Education Shri Pralhad Joshi reaffirmed India’s “people-centric and humanity-first” approach to BRICS cooperation. Discussions sought to balance innovation with human values, including the preservation and promotion of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. References to “Atithi Devo Bhava” and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” further provided an Indian civilisational framing for this approach.

Overall, the outcomes indicate an effort to connect India’s people-centred vision with practical areas of educational cooperation. However, translating these commitments into sustained institutional mechanisms will depend on implementation, coordination among members and continuity beyond India’s chairship.

Policy Recommendations

Push the MRQ process towards an implementable agreement: India should use the remaining months of its chairship to convene focused Working Group meetings aimed at resolving outstanding issues in the proposed MoU. The objective should be a workable framework with clear national implementation procedures rather than another broad commitment.

Strengthen the BRICS Network University’s institutional continuity: India should prioritise implementation of the 2025-2028 Action Plan, particularly academic mobility, collaborative research and institutional partnerships. Clear responsibilities for participating universities would help prevent initiatives from becoming dependent on individual chairships.

Link TVET cooperation to measurable skills needs: The proposed International Skill Gap Study should be used to identify areas where BRICS countries can share training models, qualifications and best practices. This would give the TVET Cooperation Alliance a clearer economic function.

Establish safeguards for Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems: India should ensure that any new thematic group incorporates principles on consent, community ownership, ethical documentation and equitable benefit-sharing before research collaboration expands.

Institutionalise Model BRICS: India should propose continuing the student-focused Model BRICS initiative beyond its chairship as a rotating BRICS youth programme. This would give the education track a sustained people-to-people component rather than limiting the initiative to 2026.

Conclusion

The BRICS Education Track under India’s 2026 Chairship is more significant than a single ministerial declaration, but its success will depend on implementation. The MRQ process provides a potential basis for greater academic mobility; the TVET agenda can connect education cooperation to labour-market needs; and the Network University offers a mechanism for sustained higher-education collaboration. At the same time, these initiatives remain dependent on continued negotiations, institutional capacity and national implementation.

India’s remaining task is therefore to convert the groundwork of its chairship into durable mechanisms. The key test will not be how many commitments appear in the Declaration, but whether qualifications recognition, academic mobility, skills cooperation and responsible knowledge-sharing develop into functioning arrangements that remain effective after the 2027 transfer of the BRICS Chairship to China.

References

BRICS Education Ministers. (2026, August 7). 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration. Ministry of Education, Government of India. https://www.brics2026.gov.in/brics-document/

BRICS Network University. (2026a, July 20). BRICS guiding principles on strengthening academic collaboration on traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. Ministry of Education, Government of India, & Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. https://www.brics2026.gov.in/brics-document/

BRICS Network University International Governing Board. (2026, July 21). International Governing Board of the BRICS Network University Declaration. Ministry of Education, Government of India. https://www.brics2026.gov.in/brics-document/

Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, June 26). What is the BRICS group and why is it expanding?
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/what-brics-group-and-why-it-expanding

Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2026a, August 7). Union Minister for Education reaffirms India’s commitment to a people-centric and humanity-first approach to BRICS cooperation, at the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting. Press Information Bureau. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2296094

Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2026b, August 4). Union Education Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi to participate in the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Odisha. Press Information Bureau.
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2294492

Ranjan, A. (2026). India’s BRICS chairmanship in 2026: Leadership in times of global uncertainty (ISAS Working Paper No. 1332). Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.
https://www.isas.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1332.pdf

About the Contributor

Ninchen Tamang is a Research & Editorial intern at Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI). She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science, with primary research interests spanning geopolitics, international relations, foreign policy, and South Asian studies.

Acknowledgement

The author expresses sincere gratitude to the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) team for their expert guidance, constructive feedback, and continued support throughout the process. The author also extends sincere thanks to the reviewers, Shruti Chandra and Divya Natarajan for their valuable feedback and thoughtful insights.