Skip The West: How BRICS Network University Is Creating New Research Options For Indian Students

Indian students considering research abroad have a new reason to look beyond the US, UK, Canada and Australia. India’s 2026 BRICS presidency has brought the BRICS Network University back into focus, with a July governing board meeting and renewed efforts to strengthen academic cooperation across member countries.

The opportunity is not a blanket replacement for an international student visa. However, it could widen short-term, lower-friction research pathways through university exchange programmes and BRICS-linked collaborations.

What Changed for Indian Students?

The immediate development is institutional rather than a new visa rule. On July 20, 2026, India’s Ministry of Education hosted a BRICS Network University conference on traditional and indigenous knowledge systems. On July 21, the International Governing Board reviewed activities across 178 participating universities and 11 thematic groups.

India also proposed Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems as a 12th thematic group. The proposal was later noted in the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting declaration on August 7, 2026.

For Indian students, the practical meaning is that BRICS Network University visa-free options must be understood through two separate layers: university participation and destination-country entry rules.

BRICS-NU describes itself as a network for academic, scientific and research cooperation. Its thematic groups support joint courses, research projects and student mobility.

The Network Is Expanding Beyond the Original BRICS Map

According to India’s Press Information Bureau, the BRICS bloc now includes 11 countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

This broader geography gives Indian researchers more potential partner universities, laboratories and fieldwork locations across the Global South.

The BRICS-NU public portal lists subject clusters such as computer science and information security, ecology and climate change, economics, energy, health sciences, natural sciences, sustainable agriculture and water resources.

These are areas where short visits, joint supervision, workshops or semester mobility may be easier to arrange than full-degree migration, particularly when the host university is already part of the network.

Visa-Free Does Not Always Mean Study-Free

Students should treat the phrase ‘visa-free travel’ carefully. Some BRICS destinations offer e-visas, visa-on-arrival access or limited exemptions for Indian passport holders. However, these permissions may apply to tourism, business meetings or short events rather than formal study.

Russia’s unified e-visa, for example, is available to Indian citizens and permits stays of up to 30 days for purposes including participation in scientific events. Other purposes require a regular visa.

The Ministry of External Affairs also advises Indian nationals to verify visa facilities with the relevant foreign embassy or consulate before travelling. Its 2026 visa-facility information notes conditional UAE visa-on-arrival access for eligible Indian passport holders. A parliamentary answer also stated that Iran suspended its one-way tourist visa facility for Indian ordinary passport holders from November 19, 2025.

Students should complete the following checks before applying:

• Confirm whether the opportunity involves a workshop, laboratory visit, semester exchange, internship or degree programme.
• Ask the host university which visa category applies to the proposed research activity.
• Verify whether the funding covers airfare, insurance, accommodation and local registration.
• Keep written proof of admission, invitation, supervisor approval and the stated purpose of travel.
• Do not use tourist permission for work, paid research or credit-bearing study unless the host institution confirms that it is permitted.

What Happens Next?

The next test will be whether Indian universities convert BRICS-level declarations into visible calls for applications. Students should monitor the international offices of their home institutions, BRICS-NU announcements and partner-university websites for exchange windows, supervisor-led projects and thematic workshops.

For now, the central point is clear: BRICS is not abolishing the international student visa. Instead, it is developing a parallel research corridor where Indian students may find more regional partners, shorter mobility formats and, in some cases, simpler entry routes than through traditional Western study destinations.

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