BRICS leaders back human-centred AI in education, explore global university ranking system
BRICS leaders have backed greater cooperation in education, with a focus on the safe, ethical and human-centred use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), while also supporting discussions on creating a BRICS University Global Ranking and Evaluation System. In a declaration issued on Saturday, the leaders welcomed the outcomes of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting held in Bhubaneswar and reaffirmed education as a key pillar of sustainable development, inclusive growth and people-to-people exchanges. The leaders supported continued collaboration through existing BRICS education platforms, including the BRICS Network University. They also welcomed India’s initiative to circulate guiding principles aimed at strengthening academic cooperation on traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. The BRICS Network University was encouraged to explore the inclusion of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge as an additional International Thematic Group, subject to established procedures and national policies. The declaration called for greater sharing of educational best practices, cooperation in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), mutual recognition of qualifications, academic and professional mobility, and digital literacy. The leaders also highlighted the importance of responsible technology adoption in education, particularly the safe and ethical use of AI, along with stronger partnerships between educational institutions. They further encouraged the continuation of the BRICS Rectors’ Forum and discussions around a BRICS Education Olympiad, while calling for further exploration of a global ranking and evaluation framework for universities across BRICS member countries. The declaration recognised the role of the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance (BRICS-TCA) in promoting multilateral cooperation, information exchange, resource sharing and joint development of technical and vocational education and training. BRICS leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening skill development, digital literacy and workforce preparedness. They called for closer links between TVET institutions and industries to align training programmes with changing labour-market requirements and sustainable development priorities. The leaders also backed efforts to improve institutional governance, expand access to quality education and promote undergraduate and postgraduate exchange and scholarship programmes, particularly in STEM fields. Such cooperation, they said, can foster innovation, create employment opportunities and equip learners and institutions to address future challenges. Source: PTI





