Welcome to the BRICS Lab!
The BRICS Lab is a research initiative at the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) that examines the role of the BRICS group in international affairs and sustainable development.
Why study BRICS? The BRICS group—a strategic partnership of new powers and emerging economies—is becoming an increasingly influential force in global governance. It advocates for the reform of international institutions, challenges dominant global policy narratives, creates alternative institutions, and promotes coordinated action across sectors such as finance, industrial development, agriculture, trade, health, and outer space. BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—has recently expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been invited but has not formalized membership. It also engages a growing network of partners, including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
As debates about the future of global governance intensify, understanding BRICS is essential—for scholars studying power shifts, multilateralism, and collective responses to global challenges, and for policymakers navigating an increasingly multipolar and complex international landscape.
Our approach: The BRICS Lab examines the group both as a geopolitical actor and as a lens for analyzing global power dynamics and informal governance. Founded and led by Mihaela Papa, Director of Research and Principal Research Scientist at CIS, this Lab builds on her long-standing work on BRICS and is developing into a space for research, policy ideas, and student collaboration.
This website shares highlights from recent publications, current research, and ongoing policy analysis. It’s meant to spark new ideas, open up debate, and connect people across disciplines and interests. More information about projects and collaborators is coming soon!
If you’re an MIT student looking for research opportunities next semester, please reach out to Mihaela at mpapa@mit.edu.