Pretoria, Thursday 26 June 2025 – Today, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the BRICS PartNIR (Partnership on New Industrial Revolution) Innovation Center (BPIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in policy coordination, think tank cooperation, personnel training, and technological innovation.
The MoU, signed at the HSRC offices in Pretoria, South Africa, marks a significant milestone in the partnership between the two organisations.
Key areas of collaboration
The MoU outlines collaborative activities in the following key areas:
Policy coordination and think tank cooperation
A framework for policy dialogue and knowledge exchange will be established, leveraging existing BRICS cooperation mechanisms and new bilateral channels. This will include joint research, co-publishing research outcomes, and personnel participating in each other’s events and forums.
Personnel training and capacity building
Opportunities for personnel exchange and joint training initiatives to drive cooperation and developmentwill be created, utilising platforms like the BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park. This will facilitate two-way talent mobility and collaborative training programmes in the field of new industrialisation.
Project development and technological innovation
The partnership will focus on the digital economy and artificial intelligence, leveraging platforms like the BRICS Science Innovation and Incubation Park. By combining strengths and resources, the collaboration aims to enhance bilateral cooperation in science and innovation incubation projects, driving practical applications.
The partnership also aims to capitalise on South Africa’s ongoing G20 presidency to further enhance collaboration opportunities.
According to Dr Mzikazi Nduna, HSRC Research Impact Divisional Executive, the organisation is committed to contributing its expertise and resources to make this partnership a success. “We are excited about the potential of this partnership to drive innovation and economic growth in South Africa and the African continent,” said Dr Nduna.
A similar sentiment was echoed by the BPIC representative at the conference, who stated that such partnerships are vital for promoting cooperation among BRICS countries. “We look forward to working closely with the HSRC, advance our shared goals and objectives in accordance with the MoU.”
The MoU, effective from the date of signing, is a non-binding agreement outlining the cooperation framework between the two organisations. Specific project or activity arrangements will be detailed in separate contracts or agreements.
For media enquiries, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani: Cell: +27 82 765 9191 Email: anematandani@hsrc.ac.za
Notes to the editor
About the BRICS PartNIR (Partnership on New Industrial Revolution) Innovation Center (BPIC)
The BPIC is a statutory body established in terms of the Ordinance of the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center in the Xiamen Special Economic Zone, China.
In November 2020, at the 12th BRICS Summit, President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the BPIC in Xiamen, Fujian, aimed at promoting cooperation on policy coordination, personnel training, and project development. He invited BRICS nations to actively participate in this initiative. In December of the same year, the BRICS Forum on the PartNIR was held in Xiamen, where representatives from the five BRICS countries collectively witnessed the official launch of the BPIC.
Objectives of Cooperation
The BPIC aims to advance the implementation of the PartNIR. It prioritises cooperation on innovation in the industrial sector while also addressing trade, investment, and cultural exchanges. Through a structured and comprehensive framework, the BPIC actively engages in international exchange and cooperation activities, generating greater momentum in BRICS cooperation and enhancing collective capacity to tackle the challenges posed by the New Industrial Revolution. Ultimately, the BPIC seeks to promote shared technological advancement, economic prosperity, and social development.
About the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
The HSRC was established in 1968 as South Africa’s statutory research agency and has grown to become the largest dedicated research institute in the social sciences and humanities on the African continent, doing cutting-edge public research in areas that are crucial to development.
Our mandate is to inform the effective formulation and monitoring of government policy; to evaluate policy implementation; to stimulate public debate through the effective dissemination of research-based data and fact-based research results; to foster research collaboration; and to help build research capacity and infrastructure for the human sciences.
The Council conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific research for public sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies. Research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.
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