XIAMEN, Nov. 12– Young sci-tech innovation experts, startup founders and entrepreneurs from BRICS countries gathered in Xiamen, east China’s Fujian Province, on Wednesday, calling for stronger sci-tech cooperation among BRICS youth to turn technological advances into practical applications and shared development opportunities.
About 100 participants attended the 2026 BRICS Youth Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation.
Xu Xiao, president of the All-China Youth Federation, noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation. He called on young people from BRICS countries to become pioneers in sci-tech innovation, practitioners of open cooperation and promoters of mutual learning.
The All-China Youth Federation is ready to work with youth organizations of other BRICS countries to empower youth innovation projects and build platforms for high-quality greater BRICS cooperation, Xu said.
Vitoria Genuino de Morais Silva, Brazil’s national secretary for youth, said the Brazilian government regards BRICS cooperation as an important avenue to shared development, and that the younger generation needs to jointly build a future for the Global South through cooperation in science, technology, innovation and industry.
Sunshine Myende, executive chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency of South Africa, said South Africa is using youth development policies and sci-tech innovation strategies to help young people move from being beneficiaries of innovation to active participants and contributors.
She stressed that public policies should create more opportunities for young people to engage in sci-tech innovation by strengthening science education, digital skills training, entrepreneurship incubation and market links.
Fuad Gena Bune, president of the Ethiopian Youth Council, said young people are an important force in Ethiopia’s digital transformation and sci-tech innovation, and that technological progress should create jobs and development opportunities for more young people.
BRICS countries should capitalize on their respective advantages in science, industry and talent, deepen technical exchanges, joint research and innovation-driven entrepreneurship, and translate technological achievements into practical outcomes that benefit people of all countries, he said.
The dialogue was a key event of the 2026 BRICS Youth Leaders Campus on Science, Technology and Innovation, held from November 8 to 13 in Fuzhou and Xiamen. The program is hosted by the All-China Youth Federation and organized by the China International Youth Exchange Center.
During their stay in China, BRICS youth participants also took part in industrial inspections, cultural visits, project matchmaking and thematic seminars, and exchanged views with young Chinese representatives from various fields.
In an interview on the sidelines, Andreza Delgado from Brazil said the visit had given her a strong impression of China’s potential for scientific and technological advancement.
“I have truly felt that China boasts broad prospects for scientific and technological innovation,” Delgado said. “I see that China is not only advancing science and technology, but also willing to share its technological achievements.”
The experience, she added, had broadened her perspective beyond her professional experience. “I work in the gaming industry, and I hope to explore and cooperate with China not only in gaming, but also in a wider range of technology fields.”
Prerit Rathi, founder and CEO of India’s Thinklude, said he was deeply impressed by the collaboration among government, private companies and research institutions.
“This kind of coordination accelerates technological progress in the right directions. It enables technology to benefit many people, and that is made possible through joint efforts,” he said.
Marwan Mohamed Rashad Elsafty from Egypt said what impressed him most was “the sheer scale and speed at which China integrates cutting-edge technology like AI, big data, and smart manufacturing into traditional industries and agriculture.”
“By adapting China’s model, we could rapidly modernize our agricultural and construction sectors. I want to take this collaborative framework back home,” he added. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
