BRICS Education Ministers' Meet in Bhubaneswar to Focus on Key Priorities
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi will participate in the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ meeting scheduled for Friday, August 7, 2026, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The meeting will deliberate on key priorities, including early childhood care and education (ECCE), skill development, research and innovation, mutual recognition of qualifications, and academic leadership.
The ministerial-level meeting is part of a series of engagements under India’s BRICS chairship. It follows the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials Meeting held on August 5 in Bhubaneswar, which brought together senior officials and delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in recent years to include the additional members, making the grouping more representative of the Global South.
The senior officials meeting served as a preparatory forum for the upcoming ministerial discussions. Participants reviewed the proposed text of the BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration, exchanged views, and worked toward consensus on key elements to be presented before the Education Ministers for consideration and adoption.
The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation across priority areas identified under the BRICS Education Track. These include ECCE, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), collaborative research and innovation, mutual recognition of qualifications, academic leadership, and the BRICS Guiding Principles on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
The delegations shared their perspectives and recommendations to further enrich the declaration, ensuring it reflects the collective aspirations and priorities of BRICS member countries. The deliberations also highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional mechanisms, promoting academic and research collaborations, facilitating exchange of best practices, and enhancing capacity-building initiatives among the member states.
The discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment to advancing inclusive, resilient, and future-ready education systems through greater cooperation, innovation, and knowledge exchange. The participants emphasised that education cooperation is essential for addressing global challenges and achieving sustainable development goals.
The meeting concluded with the finalisation of the proposed outcomes of the BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration. The Ministry of Education said the successful holding of the senior officials meeting marks a milestone in India’s BRICS Chairship 2026. “The successful conclusion of the senior education officials meeting marks an important milestone in advancing the priorities of India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, further strengthening cooperation in education among BRICS member countries,” the official statement said.
The Education Ministers are expected to consider and adopt the declaration on August 7. The declaration is intended to set a roadmap for joint initiatives in areas such as early childhood education, vocational training, research collaborations, and mutual recognition of qualifications, which could enhance student mobility and academic exchanges across BRICS nations.
