What Is the BRICS Network University? Why It Could Benefit Indian Students During the Delhi Summit

Source: Aaj Tak | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 06:56:32 UTC

Key Points

• The BRICS Network University is not a single new campus but a consortium of leading universities and research institutes from BRICS member countries.
• It was founded in Moscow in 2015 to promote student mobility, faculty exchange, joint research, and dual-degree programs with fewer administrative barriers.
• Indian institutions such as IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, DU, JNU, and BHU are linked with foreign universities including Lomonosov Moscow State University, Tsinghua University, and the University of Brasília.
• Key academic focus areas include renewable energy, computer science and AI, BRICS studies, ecology and climate change, water resources and nutrition, and economics.
• During the 2026 New Delhi summit, the network may expand by including top universities from newer BRICS members such as Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
• The article says discussions are underway to simplify visa procedures for Indian students and increase allocation under the BRICS Joint Research Fund.
• It presents the BRICS Network University as an affordable and high-quality higher-education alternative amid stricter visa and study conditions in some Western countries.