How Culture, Education, and History Are Becoming Drivers of BRICS+ Integration — and What This Means for Business?

The launch of the national "Business Public Capital Standard," as explained by Asiyat Bagatyrova, CEO of ANO "Public Capital," in "Kommercheskiye Vesti," aims to unify non-financial reporting and potentially link it to state support. Concurrently, Russia is preparing an international agenda for the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials, including appeals to the parliaments of BRICS and SCO countries, as reported by "Realnoye Vremya" with a reference to "Parlamentskaya Gazeta."

At the education and labor market level, integration is being strengthened by inclusive championships of professional skills and competencies, where a common language of rules, competencies, and assessments is being formed.

How the "Public Capital Standard" Changes Things for Companies and How It Relates to BRICS+?

It introduces unified domestic criteria for assessing business contributions to sustainable development and could become a filter for accessing support measures; concurrently, the development of cooperation on the standard with BRICS countries has been announced. This concept is outlined by ANO "Public Capital," the project operator under ASI.

Practice: the pilot involves 15 regions (including the Omsk region), inclusion in the federal registry is awarded from 50 points, and the compliance period is 3 years with the possibility of revocation due to reputational risks. SMEs are required to disclose 10–14 indicators out of 23; large enterprises have an expanded list. A higher score, in the long term, is linked to financial incentives (under development); non-financial measures, such as information support and inclusion in the federal agenda, are already available, as reported.

Content-wise, the standard shifts the focus from the "Western ESG framework" to national priorities: family values, ecology, digitalization, and process efficiency, with phased automation of assessment (AI). The model is voluntary, and data is protected by NDA; the methodology developers are IS ANO. The KPI is to achieve participation by 10,000 organizations by 2027. It is separately emphasized that the standard is compatible with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and that the aim is to exchange best practices with Asian economies, including China and BRICS countries.

How Is the Historical Agenda Around Nuremberg Being Used in External Work with BRICS and the CIS?

Through digitalization of archives and official appeals, Russia is building a "memory anchor"—a common historical narrative against revisionism for BRICS, SCO, and the CIS. The Federation Council is initiating appeals to the parliaments of these associations and anti-Hitler coalition countries, as specified by "Realnoye Vremya."

The material basis includes over 3,000 Soviet State Archive cases on the Nuremberg Trials, which are planned for digitization and electronic publication; the political motive is concern over the rise of ultra-nationalist sentiments in Europe and Ukraine, as stated by Senator Alexei Pushkov, conveyed by the publication.

For companies, this creates a predictable framework for cultural and historical projects: from museum and exhibition cooperation and educational content to corporate responsibility programs aligned with partners' "memory policies."

How Does the Logic of CIS Integration Differ from BRICS/SCO — and Why Is This Important for Cultural Projects?

The CIS relies on stable cooperative ties and a common cultural background, making integration "more natural" compared to BRICS and SCO, as noted by political scientist Vladimir Kireev.

"CIS countries have cooperative ties, a cultural background, which makes integration... more natural, closer, and based on decades of established relationships. People within the CIS understand each other very easily."

Practical takeaway: cultural and educational formats in the CIS scale faster due to the "common code," whereas BRICS/SCO require greater standardization and compatibility of regulations—this is where unified reporting standards and competency assessments are in demand.

What Tactical Opportunities Does "Abilympics" Open for HR Branding and Competency Export?

The championship provides a channel to talents with disabilities, an international "showcase" with BRICS country participation, and a platform for piloting applied technologies (VR/AR), as written by "Ulyanovskaya Pravda."

What can be done now:

• Form an HR funnel for in-demand competencies (from IT to crafts), integrating internships with the championship calendar.
• Pilot edtech courses and simulators (VR/AR) aligned with competition standards—this accelerates product validation.
• Establish corporate volunteering and mentorship as part of non-financial reporting on public capital.
• Utilize international open competitions with BRICS for branding and partnership networking.

In 2025, the finals will be held in Moscow from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 (Timiryazev Center), with over 1,000 participants expected in 50 competencies; these include specialists (including combat veterans) and VR/AR developers, as reported by the publication. Cases from regional participants show that participation enhances employment and motivation.

What Does Ukraine's "Space" Discussion on Technological Dependence Risks Reveal?

It demonstrates that without its own industrial base and guaranteed access to partners, large projects stall—from the postponement and abandonment of "Cyclone-4M" launches in Canada to the cessation of participation in "Sea Launch." Entrepreneurs also face restrictions on owning sensitive assets in the U.S., as written by "Ukraina.ru."

Against this backdrop, Ukrainian authorities have announced the creation of Space Forces by Dec. 31, 2025, with a target readiness level of 60% for air and missile defense, cyber, and space components; simultaneously, they mention a 60% reduction in General Staff personnel and acknowledge lagging in the rocket and space sector. The publication also provides examples of changing partnership configurations in MLS/Reaction Dynamics projects and the story involving Maxim Polyakov's stake in Firefly. In the context of "Sea Launch," the idea of replacing the U.S. with a BRICS country is mentioned, as detailed in the article.

The takeaway for BRICS+: technological cooperation and the export of standards (from social metrics to educational regulations) require their own trust infrastructure. This is being built through unified assessments of public contribution, compatible training formats, and a common historical narrative—elements that are currently being developed in parallel on BRICS, SCO, and CIS platforms.