Fulufhelo Netswera, South-African scholar professor: BRICS countries to focus on energy and food security

Fulufhelo Netswera is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences at Durban University of Technology (DUT). He is a South African scholar and the head of the BRICS Research Institute. Fulufhelo Netswera is the author of numerous publications dedicated to the key aspects of BRICS development. In his works, Professor emphasises the importance of cooperation between BRICS members, especially in the field of environment, finance, and food security.

Being the Head of the BRICS Research Institute, could you tell us about its activities and the most significant projects?

Now, as the Head of the BRICS Research Institute, my role is to provide strategic directions to source funding and to make sure that there are plans for research projects. There are at least three areas of strategic importance.

The first is signing memoranda of understanding between BRICS universities. The second is to ensure that a team of senior academics, professors from different universities, come together. We currently have over 69 senior academics from all the BRICS+ countries.

Thirdly, we have a team of so-called Community Capacity Development Fellows. These are PhD students who are supervised by the senior fellows. They now undertake a considerable number of projects, many of which are carried out in collaboration with one another.

Now, what we do is make sure that when we plan books or a special issue of a journal, we make sure that there is participation by academics or students from each and every BRICS+ country. So, they write from the perspective of their own countries.

For instance, a Russian scholar will write about green initiatives in Russia. A South African one will do the same for South Africa. In this way, you can make a comparative analysis.

We are currently thinking about organising primary research projects. We plan that the primary data collected should come from all countries. This means that all participating countries should be fully involved.

What are the main aims of the BRICS Research Institute?

We work in the three pillars of BRICS: peace and security, finance and economy, as well as cultural and interpersonal exchanges. So, a lot of our programmes and projects are aimed at these areas.

You are a true expert in BRICS partnership because your articles are dedicated to this topic. How can you assess this evolution of BRICS cooperation?

One of the best indicators of the BRICS evolution is that it was able to create the New Development Bank (NDB). Institutionalisation is extremely important. I would like to see the institutionalisation of BRICS programmes and BRICS activities come to the fore.

But there is indeed an evolution. There are quite a lot of declarations that have been made that are now being implemented. If you look at BRICS and their economies as a whole, you will see that we are now cooperating more. We're trading more among ourselves.

From your point of view, how could a proper mechanism for exchanging experience that could facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation be built?

Number one, we must be supplied with food. Number two, we must be supplied with energy. Therefore, these areas are among the most important areas of development. That is why we pay quite a lot of attention to research related to these areas. So that we can identify the deficits and areas of investment that the BRICS countries and individual countries within BRICS need to focus on to ensure individual and collective growth. That is why we are putting our energies into these specific areas.

So, a proper mechanism for exchanging experience could be built with the help of finance and NDB bank. It finances quite a lot of development projects, especially in climate action, green energy, and large infrastructure projects. But also, individual countries within BRICS should have their own bilateral organisations to help each other on development issues. That way, trade and development support between individual BRICS countries can be accelerated and strengthened. BRICS, as a platform, provides that opportunity.

You have highlighted the role of the New Development Bank in BRICS. From your point of view, what could ensure its advancement and strengthen its role?

I think we need to look beyond the financing role of BRICS assets, NDB assets, to expand the financing role beyond the current parameters. For instance, we talk a lot about trade in local currencies, and so the NDB framework or beyond the NDB in the big parameters of financing should be prioritised.

Which fields of international cooperation within BRICS remain underdeveloped but yet prospective?

They are agricultural sciences, engineering sciences, and medical sciences. We have a great partnership programme with Cuba. We do also have strong partnerships with China in some disciplines. We have a lot of students who are sponsored by states to go to China for certain programmes.

There is a need to look carefully at what programmes our South African universities could offer to support students from other BRICS countries and vice versa. As I said, it is important to do a comparative analysis, look at the areas of comparative advantage of each country and then outline and develop a plan of action.

See the full version of the interview here.

Photo: TV BRICS