The recent virtual hosting of the 7th BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG) meeting in India has grabbed the attention of international news outlets. This meeting, conducted under the Science, Technology, and Innovation track of BRICS 2021, was coordinated by The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and Department of Science and Technology (DST).
About BRICS
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the world’s leading emerging economies. The term BRIC was initially coined by British Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the four emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. In 2006, the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers was held, formalising this grouping. Later, in December 2010, South Africa was invited to join BRIC, resulting in the acronym we know today – BRICS. From January 2021, India has assumed the BRICS Presidency.
Structure of BRICS
Unlike a formal organisation, BRICS operates as an annual summit between the supreme leaders of the five nations. The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, which follows the order of the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
Cooperation Mechanism within BRICS
The cooperation among members is achieved through three primary tracks. Track I involves formal diplomatic engagement between national governments. Track II comprises engagement through government-affiliated institutions such as state-owned enterprises and business councils. Finally, Track III revolves around civil society and People-to-People engagement.
Key Areas of Cooperation
BRICS nations cooperate across various sectors:
1. Economic Cooperation: Various agreements concluded cover areas like Economic and Trade Cooperation; Innovation Cooperation, Customs Cooperation; strategic cooperation between the BRICS Business Council, Contingent Reserve Agreement and the New Development Bank.
2. People-to-People Exchange: This initiative aims to develop new friendships, deepen relations and mutual understanding between BRICS peoples based on openness, inclusiveness, diversity, and mutual learning. It includes the Young Diplomats Forum, Parliamentarian Forum, Trade Union Forum, Civil BRICS, and the Media Forum.
3. Political and Security Cooperation: This cooperation aims at achieving peace, security, development, and cooperation for a more equitable and fair world. South Africa, in particular, utilises BRICS as a driver for its foreign policy priorities, including the pursuit of the African Agenda and South-South Cooperation.
About BRICS Astronomy Working Group(BAWG)
BAWG offers a platform for BRICS countries to collaborate in the field of astronomy. The group recommends that each country should present the scientific results of astronomy-related work carried out. This helps seek funding support to realise flagship projects whenever BRICS funding agencies announce opportunities.
During the recent meeting, the members proposed future directions of research such as building a network of intelligent telescopes and data networks. They proposed studying transient astronomical phenomena in the universe and applying big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to process the ever-increasing data generated by advanced multi-wavelength telescope observatories.
Way Forward
In its first decade, BRICS has successfully identified common interest issues and has created platforms to address these issues. To ensure its relevance over the next decade, each of its members must make a realistic assessment of the initiative’s opportunities and inherent limitations.