By CGTN's Xia Ruixue

Representatives, experts, and scholars from 22 higher education institutions in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are meeting in the central China city of Zhengzhou to discuss ways to collaborate to improve educational standards and research. 

The two-day BRICS Network University (NU) General Conference that began on Sunday in the capital of Henan Province is themed "Pragmatic Cooperation and International Education." The meeting provides a platform for the university presidents to participate in the BRICS NU project and seek inter-college collaboration and activities for their students.

Flags of BRICS countries. /CGTN 

Zhu Qingmeng, Director of Henan Provincial Department of Education said, “The BRICS NU is an effective mechanism to promote collaboration in higher education in BRICS countries. And it provides more opportunities to carry out collaborative research and train highly-qualified professionals.”

Ahmed C Bawa, the CEO of the University of South Africa thought the NU project was very important for the BRICS. “It focuses on critical grand challenges that face humanity. So it’s very important for us to meet on the regular basis to take talks on the progress that has been made to result some of the challenges that we face,” he said.

Diane Yarlcer, Deputy Director of the South Africa General University Education expressed her expectations for the conference. “I’m really hoping that this conference will enable us to engage on pragmatic program of action, one that will take us forward in terms of mutual understanding and development that something very practical in terms of international collaboration between the five countries,” she said.