The 6th BRICS Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) Ministerial Meet ended in South Africa with the adoption of Durban Declaration. The declaration called for expanding the scale, scope and intensity of partnership and innovation for inclusive development. It also adopted an action plan for 2018-2019, with several meetings on different subjects lined up through 2018 and 2019, mostly in Brazil. Writes Dr Harsh Vardhan
The 10th BRICS Summit will be held later this month in Johannesburg with a suggested theme – BRICS in Africa: Cooperation for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The Declaration emphasized the fundamental role of Science, Technology & Innovation as key socio-economic change agents for global and regional progress, growth and stability. It welcomed the proposal to establish a BRICS Vaccine Research & Development Centre to create synergies between Science, Technology & Innovation and Health Sector.
The STI Ministerial Meet also welcomed BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution, PartNIR with thrusts on innovation. The grouping will explore mobilizing STI resources to support the initiative; it also reaffirmed the vision to promote STI for Human Development.
In my intervention during the meet I reiterated the role of BRICS Leadership Summit and its Declaration for ensuring that STI is an integral part and priority partnership strategy. Further it duly acknowledged adoption of innovation-driven development strategy to enhance resilience and potential of our economy
The Declaration thanked India for accepting to coordinate and provide leadership role to the BRICS Young Scientist Forum. The 3rd meeting of the Forum was held in Durban, which included a number of new elements like Young Women in Science Dialogue, Young Innovator Prize, Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurship Workshop and the BRICS Seminar on Science Diplomacy. The STI Ministerial Meet recommended that these activities should become permanent features of the Young Scientist Forum.
Dr Harsh Vardhan is a former advisor to World Health Organization (WHO) and Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences in the Government of India
