BRICS

The rising powers – a category that includes the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as well as other key countries such as Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia – are establishing themselves as an influential presence in the global development landscape, and playing an increasingly important role in shaping prospects for poverty reduction in low-income countries.

The Centre for Rising Powers stems from the burgeoning interest in scholarly and policy circles in the emergence of new powers. It is the first initiative of its kind however that goes beyond the attention to the immediate cases to focus on the fundamental theoretical and empirical puzzle: how do new powers rise, how might they be accommodated, and what impact do these interactions generate on systemic stability.

Its research program is thus just as interested in the threats and opportunities posed by the rise of new powers in the past (such as Germany, Japan, the United States and the former Soviet Union in the 20th century) as the emergence of new powers today (such as India, China, and Brazil).

The advent of India, China, Brazil, Egypt, and others on the world stage as increasingly more powerful actors is causing a major transformation of the global political system.

It is all about developing or newly industrialised countries, but they are distinguished by their large, fast-growing economies and significant influence on regional and global affairs; all five are G-20 members.

As of 2013, the five BRICS countries represent almost 3 billion people, with a combined nominal GDP of US$16.039 trillion, and an estimated US$4 trillion in combined foreign reserves.

Presently, South Africa holds the chair of the BRICS group, having hosted the group's fifth summit in 2013. The BRICS have received both praise and criticism from numerous quarters.

...