Institute for Social and Cultural Research of MUST organized
2015 International Symposium on “BRICS-II : Institutionalization & Macau”

BRICS, an international organization of five major emerging economies, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is witnessing rising prominence on world stage after the first decade of the 21st century. How it can be constructed has become a new focus of political and economic study. It is of great theoretical and policy-making value for the BRICS members to strengthen their co-operation by institutionalization, and thus to raise their global status.

2015 International Symposium on “BRICS-II : Institutionalization & Macau”organized by Institute for Social and Cultural Research is held on May 6-7. The conference invites scholars and analysts from all BRICS nations, the themes are how best to strategize, structure, and implement BRICS institutionalization paralleling with concrete initiatives taken in Macau.

The opening ceremony started at 9:30 in N101 on May 6, 2015. The officiating guests include Mr. Gao Shang De，Ministerial Assistant of Department of Economic Affairs in the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau SAR, Ms. Liu Yu, Head of Policy Research Office, the representative of Deputy Commissioner in Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao SAR, Prof. Zhang Shuguang, Senior Vice President and Director of Institute for Social and Cultural Research of MUST, Ms. Zhong Yi, Member of Administrative Committee of Macao Foundation, Mr. Fung Sio Weng, Head of Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office of Macau SAR, Mr. Sou Chio Fai, Director of Tertiary Education Services Office of Macau SAR, Prof. Alexander Lukin, Chair of Department of International Relations in Higher School of Economics (Russia), Amb. Luiz Augusto de Castro Neves, Chairman of the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) , Former Brazilian Ambassador to China (2004-2008), Mr. Prashant Agrawal, Consul General, Indian Consulate-General to Hong Kong and Macau, Mrs. Patience Phumelele Gwala, Consul General, South African Consulate-General to Hong Kong and Macau, Prof. RUAN Zongze, Vice President, senior fellow at China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)，Editor-in-Chief of the CIIS journal - China International Studies.

Meanwhile, academics from the five BRICS countries and Macau SAR made exchanges with students and staffs in MUST on topics of "BRICS Institutionalization & New International Regime"，"BRICS Institutionalization & Cooperation"，"BRICS Institutionalization & Country Perspective"，and "BRICS Institutionalization & Macau".

The conference is sponsored by Macau Foundation, and supported by Macau Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America (MAPEAL).