How the BRICS+ Youth Agenda is Turning into Practice: What's Already Launched and Where are the Entry Points for Cities, Universities, and Businesses?

A series of new platforms for joint work by BRICS+ youth served as a catalyst. Kazan hosted the first BRICS+ Youth Festival, bringing together about 150 schoolchildren from 13 countries. It featured an academic program (math and computer science Olympiad), discussions, cultural events, and legacy initiatives, from a roundtable at the city hall to the creation of a BRICS+ Youth Library at Gymnasium No. 107, as reported by Lenta.ru and confirmed by Gazeta.ru.

The focus is on exchanging best practices and institutionalizing youth cooperation between cities.

"This is a beautiful new chapter in a new, just world. And in this world, the most important place under the sun belongs to you; the future is yours," stated Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin, setting the tone for the festival, as reported by Lenta.ru.

What decisions were made at the festival's platform for ongoing cooperation between cities and schools?

The key decision is to develop systematic inter-municipal cooperation through the BRICS+ Association of Cities' Committee on Youth Policy and Education. Participants from 13 countries presented their youth support models and agreed to strengthen practical exchanges, as reported by "Tatar-Inform."

School "diplomacy" was initiated separately: Kazan proposed a network of sister schools, teacher internships, and joint student projects as a fundamental mechanism for long-term partnerships, as informed by "BUSINESS Online."

How is this integrated into the strategy for municipal diplomacy and investment inflow?

The "bottom-up" architecture is strengthened by management programs for municipal officials. MGIMO launched the "International School of Municipal Leadership," the first project in Russia for heads of municipalities on international cooperation, focused on promoting Russian interests and attracting investment. The first cohort includes 25 participants from 71 regions, as reported by NTM.

The next major hub is the 7th BRICS+ International Municipal Forum in St. Petersburg, expecting over 5,000 delegates from 100 countries. The forum will be held at the Expoforum concurrently with the "Russian Industrialist" exhibition, expanding opportunities for international networking, as noted by "Big Asia."

What practices have countries already showcased – what can realistically be scaled within the BRICS+ network?

The fundamental outcome is the exchange of ready-made youth support models that can be adapted through school and municipal partnerships.

As reported by "Tatar-Inform," and detailed by "BUSINESS Online," participants presented:

• Ethiopia: With a youth share of ~70%, it offers a package of employment measures: startup development, business incubators, microcredit, digital literacy courses, and youth councils.
• Turkey (Eskişehir): Municipal youth centers provide free language courses, thematic camps, social libraries, and volunteer initiatives.
• Brazil (Vargem Grande): National Secretariat for Youth Affairs programs focus on "returning" youth to education, with 78% of graduates enrolling in higher education.
• Belarus: Pioneer and October clubs are active, participating in sports, cultural, and agricultural projects.
• India: With a large demographic base of 550 million young people (18–40 years old), it serves as a driver for sustainable future development.

What tactical opportunities are already open for business, media, and export?

The main "entry points" are mentorship, content, and export tracks. The head of Rosmolodezh announced the launch of a BRICS business mentorship program and an international content center with bloggers from 34 countries, as reported by "KP – Bryansk."

Concurrently, students of the International School of Municipal Leadership are preparing and launching projects to attract foreign investment, promote Russian goods in foreign markets, and develop tourism and international relations, as reported by NTM.

For industrial companies and technology SMEs, the BRICS+ Municipal Forum, combined with "Russian Industrialist," offers networking opportunities, expanding horizons for direct contact with delegations from 100 countries and municipal teams, as emphasized by "Big Asia."

What does this mean for BRICS+ companies and universities in the coming months?

• For cities and schools: The rapid launch of "sister schools," teacher exchanges, and joint Olympiads/projects is based on initiatives adopted in Kazan, providing a ready framework for low-barrier entry pilots.
• For municipalities: The International School of Municipal Leadership and the BRICS+ Municipal Forum are synchronized platforms for refining agendas, finding partners, and solidifying them in agreements and project teams.
• For business and media: BRICS mentorship and the international content center create cross-market and cross-audience channels; combining the forum with an industry exhibition enhances the density of meetings with decision-makers.

Conclusion: The BRICS+ youth and educational agenda is shifting from symbolic actions to infrastructure for regular contacts through school networks, municipal programs, and large-scale forums. For companies and universities, this presents a rare window for "quick deals" with a long-term perspective: solidifying partnerships now means the next academic and project cycles will operate within a framework of sustainable inter-country cooperation.