On 11 October, “International Relations” Student Scientific Society, Faculty of International Relations and Politics at RANEPA St. Petersburg, brought together 50 young scientists from 5 Russian universities, who are interested in BRICS activities and cooperation between the countries of the Global South.
The participants simulated the procedure for BRICS+ expanding, where nine teams applied for membership: Algeria, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cuba, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. Candidate teams presented their applications and answered questions from nine BRICS member state teams.
Following a heated discussion and the final vote, only two applications were unanimously approved: Algeria, represented by Maksimilian-Klavdy Dobrykh, St. Petersburg State University and Anna Khimich, RANEPA St. Petersburg and Indonesia, represented by Valery Usevich and Dmitry Popov, RANEPA St. Petersburg. Besides, the following RANEPA St. Petersburg students were awarded
- Egor Venediktov (Iran team) as “Best Diplomat”
- Arkhip Kostenkov and Alena Kalinina (Kuwait team) as “Best Presentation”
- Alisa Chukhova as “BRICS+ Expert”.
Elizaveta Petrova and Nina Ladygina-Glazunova, BRICS and SCO Innovative Diplomacy Center and Dr. Anastasiya Nikolaenko, International Relations Bachelor program’s director at RANEPA St. Petersburg, acting as experts, emphasized a high motivation and competence of all the participants.