BRICS Institute of Future Networks Terms of Reference

Sep 05, 2024
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><strong>1 – Introduction</strong></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Building on earlier work at the 2nd BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting (Bengaluru, 2016), and the 3rd BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting (Hangzhou, 2017), a clear path to the implementation of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks (BIFN) was defined during the 4th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting (Durban, 2018).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Taking note of paragraph 4 of the Declaration of the 4th BRICS Communication Ministers Meeting (Durban, 16 September 2018).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Within the mandate of the Council of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks to decide on the terms of reference and work program of the BIFN, the Council met twice for this purpose on August 12th 2019, in Brasília – Brazil, and on September 16th 2020, online under the Brazilian and the Russian presidencies, respectively  and reported to the BRICS Communication Ministers meetings.</span></p><p><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><strong>2 - Goals and Objectives</strong></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Taking into account the “BRICS ICT Development Agenda and Action Plan” (Bengaluru, 2016), the BIFN will be committed to the following broad goals and objectives:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Provide a platform for  joint research, innovation and study;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Develop a roadmap for future networks, and cooperate with global partners to jointly address relevant problems;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Promote cooperation on research and innovation in emerging and new technologies;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Build a collaboration platform for R&D and innovation in future networks among various institutions and organizations in BRICS economies;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Coordinate with  Standard Development Organizations (SDOs) of BRICS countries  for Standardization of networks, network elements and devices; and</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Facilitate trials of emerging networks.</span></p><p><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><strong>3 - Scope of Work</strong></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">The BIFN will operate in a “demand-oriented, project-driven, open platform-based and scientifically-managed” manner. The basic scope of work of the BIFN will include the following activities, taking into account the suggestions by the BIFN Focus Group:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Formulate high-level research outlook with an evolving horizon of 4-7 years, and consult on projects based on joint study outcomes, international trends as well as the Council’s input.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Establish cooperation projects, including those open to national research institutes, academic institutions, and SMEs.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Construction of  professional labs and state-of-the-art testbeds for trials for studies, innovation and testing, and the establishment of open service platforms for the testing of network products.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Exchange of experts and capacity building in new technological fields,</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Develop joint work in the area of standardization, elaborate on joint proposals on standards within the BIFN, and collaborate in international organizations devoted to standardization processes.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Monitoring and updating the Work Program of the BIFN, as approved by the Council.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Working on R&D projects in future networks and emerging technologies.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Encouraging research institutes, startups end enterprises to carry out research and innovation, jointly studying and publishing white papers on technological and industrial development on future networks and emerging ICTs.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Other areas, as agreed by the Council.</span></p><p><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><strong>4 - Organizational Structure</strong></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">The governance and organizational structure responsible for the BRICS Institute of Future Networks consists of Council, Secretariat and Branches.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><em>a) Council:</em></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">The Council is the decision making body of BIFN, built on the member-driven consensus work method, chaired by the BRICS rotating presidency, and reports work progress to the BRICS Communications Ministers through the BRICS Working Group on ICT Cooperation. Its responsibilities include but not limited to the following:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   to develop the vision, roadmap, Terms of Reference and overall work plan, study direction, fields, major programs and other main issues related with the development of the BIFN, and to decide on the funding mechanisms for the approved work plans.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   to encourage BRICS members to contribute financially and to explore financial support from various sources, including industries, the BRICS New Development Bank, and other international financial institutions;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   to prepare the annual report of the BIFN to be submitted to the BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting for consideration; </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   to engage all BIFN branches, as well as encourage the active participation from member governments, research institutes, startups, incubation centres, enterprises and stakeholders in BIFN activities</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   to explore and identify the working mechanism of BIFN, set up specific study groups, working groups and advisory groups based on network technology developments and proposals of members.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   The Council will meet on a regular basis using electronic means as often as needed, as well as a physical presence meeting at least once a year, immediately preceding the Ministerial Meeting;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   The chair of the Council will be taken by the BRICS rotating presidency. The Council will be composed of five representatives and their alternatives, designated by the BRICS Communication ministries. The Council meetings will be open to other delegates from the BRICS countries as observers.</span></p><p><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><em>b)  Secretariat:</em></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">The Secretariat is the operational body whose main task is to provide support to the Council within its mandate.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">The Secretariat will be provided by the presiding BRICS country and may be supported by other BRICS member to assist the Council chair in carrying out routine work, prepare and organize Council meetings and working group meetings, and coordinate the BIFN activities during the adjournment of the Council, until the establishment of a permanent secretariat, as suggested at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting in Durban, 2018.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">The Secretariat is provided by the BRICS rotating presidency in the host country in terms of funding and human resources.</span></p><p><br/></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><em>c) Branches:</em></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Branches are national institutes or newly created bodies in BRICS countries that proactively carry out advanced research on key technologies, taking into account the overall planning and study programs of BIFN.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Responsibilities of the branches will include:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Act as a focal point for its national institutes, and coordinate institutions and industry, including SMEs in the country, to participate in BIFN studies and activities, as mentioned in Section 3.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Act as a focal point for other BIFN branches;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Act as appropriate as a national focal point for the Secretariat.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Share with each other study outcomes where possible;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Serve as appropriate as the Secretariat when the country takes the BRICS rotating presidency;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Hold BIFN related meetings;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Act as a BIFN training base to offer relevant training to BIFN members;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   Take part in the study work of BIFN; and</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">          ●   To facilitate the provision of high-speed and high-quality connectivity and network infrastructure; this may include the use of NREN (National Research and Educational Networks).</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new="">Branches are supported by the country itself in terms of funding and human resources.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: " times="" new=""><br/></span></p><p><br style="text-wrap: wrap;"/></p><p><br/></p>
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BRICS Institute of Future Networks Terms of Reference
