UFSC attends BRICS+ University Rectors Forum in Rio
The BRICS+ University Rectors Forum is taking place from 5 to 7 June 2025, at the Museu do Amanhã, in Rio de Janeiro. UFSC is being represented at the event by Professor Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, Secretary for International Relations.
The Forum brings together leaders from the main universities of BRICS+ member states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran), as well as representatives from governments, the private sector, and civil society. The meeting focuses on promoting academic and scientific cooperation, with discussions on strategic topics such as artificial intelligence, sustainability, poverty alleviation, inclusion, diversity, energy transition and standardization in the BRICS+ space.
The program features thematic panels addressing everything from language policies to global challenges such as health, quality of life, and sustainable development. The event also includes the signing of cooperation agreements between universities and the preparation of a joint statement to be presented during the closing ceremony.
UFSC’s participation in the Forum underscores its commitment to internationalization, the pursuit of strategic partnerships, and the development of joint solutions to challenges faced by emerging market countries.
About the Forum
The BRICS+ University Rectors Forum is a strategic platform for academic and scientific cooperation among the leading universities of the BRICS+ member states.
In 2025, the second edition of the Forum is being hosted by the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in partnership with the National Association of Directors of Federal Higher Education Institutions (ANDIFES), the Forum of Rectors of Public Education Institutions of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FRIPERJ), and with support from the Federal Government and the City of Rio de Janeiro. The initiative aims to strengthen ties among higher education institutions in the participating countries and to consolidate Rio de Janeiro as an international hub of knowledge, science and innovation.
The first edition of the Forum was held in 2024 in Moscow, at Lomonosov Moscow State University, under the leadership of Rector Professor Dr. Victor Sadovnichy. The meeting marked a pioneering initiative by bringing together university leaders from Russia, Belarus and Brazil, later expanding to include other BRICS+ countries.
The second edition, organized by UFRJ under the leadership of Rector Professor Dr. Roberto de Andrade Medronho, is taking place from 5 to 7 June 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, with the Museu do Amanhã [Museum of Tomorrow]—an icon of innovation and sustainability in the city—as its main venue.The event was officially announced at the Kremlin during the celebrations of the 270th anniversary of Moscow State University, by the initiative’s foudner, Rector Victor Sadovnichy.
More than 300 participants are expected to attend, including rectors and university representatives, government officials, and members of the scientific community of BRICS+ member and partner countries.
Learn more about the 2025 event at https://brics2025.ufrj.br/.
