Digital transformation and education in BRICS; The role of artificial intelligence in training human resources – Mehr news agency RCO News Agency

According to RCO News Agency, quoted by BRICS TV, in the context of global developments, education is considered more than ever as a tool for shaping the future. According to experts, now is the time when the foundations of new educational systems and approaches are being formed in the BRICS countries. The member countries of this group each have different experiences, historical backgrounds, and cultural traditions, but at the same time, they share significant commonalities in terms of scale, level of ambition, and vision for the future.

The influence of emerging economies on the global education agenda continues to increase. At the same time, many BRICS countries are facing common challenges; including how to ensure equal access to school education, confront teacher migration, support inclusive education, linguistic diversity and strengthen intercultural dialogue.

According to the report prepared by the Russian Council of BRICS Experts in collaboration with the Institute of Education of the National Research University of the Higher School of Economics, in the academic year 2024-2023, about 35.9% of the world’s school-age children lived in the BRICS countries, and 35.3% of the world’s schools were also located in these countries. India topped the list with more than 365 million school-age children, followed by China with more than 211 million, Brazil with more than 53 million, Russia with more than 22 million, and South Africa with nearly 20 million.

Experts believe that the introduction of digital technologies and neural networks to education can not only solve many challenges, but also lead to a real leap and make education universally available to everyone. However, fundamental questions remain: Will the quality of such education really be high? Isn’t this type of education weak compared to the classical model? And will educational digital platforms be able to train high-level professionals? The answer to these questions is still not clear.

Challenges and opportunities

What unites the BRICS countries more than anything else is the effort to ensure universal and equal access to compulsory education. In most of these countries, there is free and guaranteed education at primary and secondary levels. However, all members are facing problems in the field of quantity and quality of teacher training. Another challenge comes back to the field of demographics; In some countries, population growth requires a massive expansion of the education system, while in others, the migration of young people from rural areas has led to school closures.

Language diversity also often becomes a serious obstacle. For example, in Brazil and South Africa, the dominant languages ​​of education are Portuguese and English, which creates difficulties for children with different mother tongues. The lack of textbooks and educational resources in local languages ​​also limits access to education.

diversity of approaches; A point for growth

If in the past the countries of the global South tried to solve these challenges by following the general and global recommendations, today there is a growing trend towards the value of governance in educational policy. There is a growing understanding that challenges can be turned into opportunities for growth if demographic and cultural characteristics are addressed. According to researchers, BRICS countries play a leading role in applying this approach.

Today, each of the BRICS countries has formulated special strategies suited to their specific conditions. For example, the Chinese government focuses on ensuring equal access to quality education in all regions of the country, which is of great importance for the development of remote and rural areas. Meanwhile, South Africa and India are seeking to expand educational coverage and reduce dropout rates, while Russia and China have been concerned in recent years about too much educational pressure on students. In Brazil, inclusive education has become a central policy focus. Russia and China, in contrast, emphasize unified educational standards rather than accommodating the interests of particular groups.

However, experts believe that the diversity of educational challenges in BRICS countries is not a weakness, but a valuable resource; Because it leads governments to search for innovative solutions and exchange useful experiences.

Educational cooperation

BRICS countries cooperate with each other at the levels of specialized ministries, universities and research centers. Student and professor exchange, implementation of network educational programs, conducting joint researches and creating scientific projects are among the axes of these collaborations. This process plays an important role in the internationalization of education and the transfer of best experiences, and in the long run, it can become a factor for transformation in the global education landscape.

Since 2015, the number of joint educational projects in the BRICS countries has multiplied and network educational programs and online courses have grown significantly. Estimates show that by 2030, the number of students participating in joint programs can reach 100,000.

The main effect of these collaborations is the internationalization of national education systems. As a result, Russian universities have introduced elements of humanities education into their programs, and Brazilian universities are benefiting from China’s experience in creating technological education clusters. This exchange will increase the global competitiveness of BRICS education systems.

Obstacles

Along with the achievements, there are also obstacles. The first obstacle is the difference in priorities; While China and Russia focus on developing higher education and research, for countries like India and South Africa it is more important to improve access to basic education. Another challenge is the lack of funding for joint initiatives. Also, the difference in licensing, accreditation and formalization systems of educational qualifications and cultural distance between countries complicates cooperation.

In an exclusive interview with BRICS TV, Lobarto Sartoyo, an expert in foreign trade, law, information technology and creative industries, said: In my opinion, it is necessary to create a single university in BRICS countries so that trained professionals can work with a common degree in all BRICS Plus countries. This requires extensive cooperation and mutual recognition of documents.

BRICS Common Digital Resources

Experts believe that BRICS joint universities should operate online to some extent. Member countries have also agreed to create digital resources and joint scientific publications. In June 2025, the “Digital Resources” project was launched to provide information with QR codes in scientific and educational centers.

Digitization of education

According to experts, pilot projects can become major BRICS educational platforms; Platforms that in some stages, the role of the teacher will be taken over by artificial intelligence. Alexander Titov, Deputy Secretary General of the International Association of Digital Economies, emphasized that digitization can reduce inequalities in access to education and enable adaptive learning based on artificial intelligence.

At the same time, experts emphasize that digital education will not completely replace traditional education and a dual model will be formed that combines online and face-to-face education. Universities will also become research and training centers for future leaders.

Look to the future

BRICS governments have invested heavily in digital education infrastructure. However, digital inequality, high internet costs and the digital literacy gap remain serious challenges. Experts predict that in the medium term, artificial intelligence and virtual reality will be more integrated in education and common educational standards will be formed in BRICS.

According to analysts, integrated digital education in BRICS countries can become one of the most important public services in the future; Services whose quality will play a direct role in the training of human resources needed for economic growth.