Responsible Leadership for the Future through Science, Technology, and Innovation
Yulia Milshina, Leading Expert at the HSE ISSEK Foresight Centre, made a presentation at the 3rd BRICS Young Scientists Forum (25–29 June, Durban, South Africa) highlighting various specific features of managing the water sector in each member country. This year the forum focused on strategic management and preservation of water resources in the commonwealth countries in the context of global warming.
In anticipation of the next (already the tenth) BRICS summit (25–27 July, Johannesburg, South Africa) a number of related events are traditionally held, including BRICS Young Scientists Forum. This year it was hosted by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Academy of Science of South Africa; the forum’s motto was 'Building BRICS Youth Leadership Through Science, Technology and Innovation'.
Participants of the young scientists forum discussed the role of women in science, youth entrepreneurship, the importance of scientific diplomacy, and prospective research areas in the fields of water sector management, energy, and social sciences.
The session on water resources was started off by Yulia Milshina’s presentation (HSE). The speaker analysed specific features of BRICS countries’ approaches to managing the water sector giving a brief review of relevant issues faced by particular nations, and on the transboundary (international) level, and suggested possible strategies for dealing with them in the framework of the BRICS countries’ cooperation. These included coordinating initiatives in areas such as water sector management, environment protection, and water quality control; joint monitoring of water flows; flood forecasting; collaboration in dam and water storage reservoir management; and implementing various innovative projects.
Yulia Milshina’s presentation was based on the HSE ISSEK research in the field of water sector development. It commanded the significant interest of the audience and provided a basis for subsequent research cooperation and joint publications.
Previously, at the 2nd BRICS Young Scientists Forum (July 2017, Hang Zhou, China), a presentation was made by Ekaterina Streltsova, senior researcher at the HSE ISSEK. She analysed BRICS countries’ experiences of entering biotechnology markets using patent analysis techniques. The key points of the report are presented in the paper 'Biotechnology Patenting in the BRICS Countries: Strategies and Dynamics' published in April 2018 in the Trends in Biotechnology journal.
See also:
International Scientific and Practical Conference 'BRICS Water Forum' (September 2016, HSE)
The analytical report 'The Water Sector: Global Challenges and Long-term Trends in Innovation Development' (in Russian)
SPIEF 2018 Discussion: How Comfortable Young Researchers Feel in Russian Academia?