The decision to establish the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Young Scientist Forum (YSF) was taken at the 2nd BRICS Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Ministerial Meeting in Brazil in March 2015. The 1st BRICS YSF was held in Bangalore, India in September 2016. At the 4th BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting in Jaipur, India in October 2016, the BRICS countries agreed to hold the BRICS YSF on a rotational basis. The 2nd BRICS YSF was held in Hangzhou, China in July 2017. The 3rd forum was held in Durban, South Africa in June 2018. Moreover, the 4th BRICS YSF was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2019. The 5th forum was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chelyabinsk, Russia in September 2020. The 6th BRICS YSF was hosted by India in September 2021. The 2022 7th BRICS YSF (in a hybrid format) was hosted in August in
Xiamen, China.
South Africa assumed the BRICS rotational Presidency on 1 January 2023 and will host the 15th BRICS Summit in August 2023. In line with the established tradition of previous BRICS Summits, South Africa will host a wide range of BRICS activities leading up to and following the Summit, including the BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting and the BRICS Academies of Sciences meetings.
As part of its BRICS STI activities, South Africa will host the 8th BRICS YSF in line with the decision taken at the BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting held in October 2016, in Jaipur.
The main goals of the 8th BRICS YSF are:
- To provide a platform for talented BRICS young scientists and researchers to exchange perspectives on transformative change and forge sustainable research partnerships, links, and networks;
- To promote youth driven creative solutions to the most pressing socio-economic problems in their societies;
- To promote scientific cooperation/science diplomacy dialogues amongst the BRICS emerging researchers and countries beyond the summit; and
- To promote the interconnectedness of society through research and innovation for inclusive and sustainable development.
