Towards a Future for BRICS+ Conference

In January 2024, BRICS admitted five new members — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE — ushering a new phase in the bloc’s development. Together, the 10 BRICS+ nations encompass close to half of the world’s population and more than 35% of global GDP, establishing BRICS+ as a potential counterweight to Western-led institutions and a political and economic force of its own. What does the future hold for BRICS+ amidst a changing world order? Will BRICS+ continually expand -- and what does that imply for rapidly shifting geopolitical dynamics?

In this conference, leading scholars, senior policymakers, and policy experts will examine some of the key issues, opportunities, and challenges related to the future of BRICS+.

Conference Program

09:00 – 09:30    Registration
09:30 – 09:35    Opening Remarks

• Professor Heiwai Tang, Director of Asia Global Institute, Victor and William Fung Professor in Economics, The University of Hong Kong

SESSION 1 – THE GEOPOLITICS AND DIPLOMACY OF BRICS+

09:35 – 10:25    “The New Global South in the Multiplex Age”

• Professor Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service, American University

10:25 – 11:15    “The Geopolitics of BRICS+: Between (and Beyond) Institutional Balancing and Institutional Hedging"

• Professor Cheng-Chwee Kuik, Professor of International Relations, National University of Malaysia

11:15 – 12:05    “The BRICS+ Sustainability Diplomacy”

• Dr Lucie Qian Xia, Departmental Lecturer, Politics and International Relations of China, University of Oxford

12:05 – 14:00    Early Lunch Break (by invitation)

SESSION 2 – TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION of BRICS+

14:00 – 14:50    “Digital Transformation and Governance across BRICS+”

• Professor Kian-ming Ong, Pro Vice Chancellor for External Engagement, Director, Philosophy Politics & Economics Program, Taylor's University

14:50 – 15:40     “Innovation System in BRICS Countries”

• Professor Keun Lee, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Seoul National University

15:40 – 16:00    Coffee Break

SESSION 3 – BRICS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD

16:00 – 16:50    “Southeast Asia and the BRICS: In or Out, and Why?”

• Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Senior Fellow and Professor of International Relations at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University

16:50 – 17:40    “The Global Financial Safety Net: BRICS’ CRA and the regional financing arrangements”

• Professor Anoop Singh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog, Government of India, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress

17:40 – 18:00    Concluding Remarks and Briefing on Next Steps