By Andreia Lobato | 2025-06-25

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Ambitions of global scientific leadership held by BRICS member states may run into the buzz saw of reality.

Brazil assumed the rotating year-long presidency of BRICS on January 1, leading the bloc at a moment of expansion and renewed emphasis on scientific and technological cooperation.

The bloc name represents early members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

From Brasília, officials have launched initiatives aimed at boosting integration in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), neuroscience and open science, while reaffirming the bloc's relevance on the global stage.

Yet behind the rhetoric of collaboration, contradictions call into question the true nature of the BRICS project.

A more ambitious, expanded BRICS

The group welcomed five new members in 2024 (Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Saudi Arabia), reflecting efforts to establish BRICS as a global counterweight, including in science and technology.

Indonesia became the 11th member in January.

Brazil now leads an agenda packed with over 100 ministerial meetings in the first half of the year, set to culminate in a summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7. Officially, the aim is to strengthen ties among countries in the Global South and promote a more inclusive model of global governance.

But beneath the inclusive discourse, BRICS initiatives in science often align with Chinese and Russian geopolitical interests rather than with a shared commitment to knowledge as a public good.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for instance, proposed the creation of an international AI alliance during a December speech, positioning BRICS at the core of the initiative. His remarks included criticism of the US dominance in setting AI standards.

Power imbalances and contested cooperation

BRICS members face deep inequalities. China, the bloc's scientific and technological powerhouse, often plays a central role, while countries such as Ethiopia and even Brazil struggle with limited capabilities. Such imbalances could turn weaker members into followers rather than true partners, say analysts.

The very concept of open science, which Brazil now promotes, faces challenges within the bloc. Some member states restrict access to data, censor scientific publications or persecute researchers.

In China, multiple reports have documented censorship of sensitive topics such as public health, the environment and politics.

Meanwhile, in Russia, scientific collaboration with the West has sharply declined since the invasion of Ukraine and authorities have cracked down on researchers accused of working with foreign agents.

Brazil's leadership, under pressure

As the BRICS president for 2025, Brazil seeks to enhance its global standing and reinforce its leadership in the Global South. But its constrained science budget and reliance on international agreements risk undermining its autonomy.

With China's growing influence over the bloc's direction, Brazil may find itself executing others' agendas more than shaping its own.

Despite the lofty rhetoric, the path toward equitable scientific cooperation within BRICS remains fraught with contradictions and shaped by geopolitics.