Panaji | The eighth meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Oceanic and Polar Science and Technology (OPST) began in Goa on Wednesday, where scientists and officials from eight member countries will discuss scientific cooperation and future collaborative programmes in ocean and polar research.
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences in South Goa, is hosting the three-day meeting being held under India's BRICS Presidency 2026.
Delegations from Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and India are participating in the meeting.
The meeting was inaugurated in the presence of Dr M Rajeevan, Vice Chancellor of Atria University and former Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, along with directors and scientists of MoES institutes, officials from the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Department of Science and Technology, and delegations from BRICS member countries.
Dr Thamban Meloth, Director, NCPOR and chair of the working group for 2026, welcomed the participants, following which Rajeevan delivered a keynote lecture on "India's Blue Economy Initiatives".
The working group will discuss ongoing national programmes, areas of common scientific interest and opportunities for future cooperation in ocean and polar science and technology.
During the sessions, member countries are expected to deliberate on proposals for bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation, priority areas of common interest and future activities in ocean exploration and polar studies.
The meeting will also provide a platform for strengthening institutional contacts and identifying opportunities for joint research, capacity building, scientific exchanges and shared use of research infrastructure.
The BRICS OPST Working Group was established in 2018 to facilitate scientific cooperation, knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaborative activities among member countries.
Seven meetings of the working group have been held so far, with India having previously hosted the third meeting in 2020 during its earlier BRICS Presidency.
The OPST activities in India are led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences under the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation framework of the Department of Science and Technology.
The hosting of the meeting during India's BRICS Presidency is aimed at advancing cooperation in ocean and polar sciences while focusing on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, officials said.
