On June 18, within the framework of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a session of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance “BRICS and Partners: Shaping a Shared Business Future” was held, moderated by Anna Nesterova, Chairperson of the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance.
Keynote speakers, representatives of government and business circles from the BRICS and partner countries, such as China, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, the UAE and Malaysia attended the session and discussed the emerging framework of cooperation between BRICS and its newly designated partner countries.
“Taking into account the new wave of expansion, today BRICS is 11 full members and 10 partner countries … Undoubtedly, the BRICS enlargement opens up wide opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation, including deepening trade and investment ties, macroeconomic coordination, access to new technologies, as well as new markets and partnerships, exchange of experience and best practices,” noted Anna Nesterova.
Irawati Hermawan, CEO, Hermawan Juniarto & Partners, Indonesian member, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance; Khalid Al Marzooqi, Vice President, Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group; Galina Volkova, CEO, “ORTOMODA”, Member of BRICS Women’s Business Alliance Russia Chapter; Lyudmila Scherbakova, President, Velpharm Group, Member of the Russian Chapter, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance covered the main and promising business areas of cooperation within the expanding BRICS framework.
Lebogang Zulu, Chairperson, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance South Africa Chapter, Vice President, India-South Africa Chamber of Commerce; Ma Shuang, Director, Beijing-Moscow International Economy and Trade Center, Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Chairman of Beijing Yabaolu International Chamber of Commerce underlined that e-commerce and information technology are among the most urgent fields of international entrepreneurial interaction.
Saliza Abdullah, Group Managing Director, BG Capital Holdings; Deputy President, National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Malaysia highlighted the necessary steps to be taken to ensure the rapid integration of the Malaysian business community into the BRICS agenda.
Emphasizing the importance of developing young entrepreneurship for the prosperous business future of the BRICS countries, Dmitry Ivanov, General Director, Directorate of the World Youth Festival, announced a joint project with the BRICS WBA – BRICS International Youth Mentoring Program.
“Entrepreneurship serves as a real bridge between peoples and states: businessmen from different cultures find a common language, create strong partnerships and jointly respond to the challenges of the time. To enhance this unifying role in the BRICS space, we, together with the Women’s Business Alliance, have established a Mentoring Institute for women entrepreneurs, who currently play an increasingly important role in the economy: they head large corporations, create innovative start-ups and develop effective business strategies.
This year, 100 promising young businesswomen will participate in the program and receive personalized support from top managers from the BRICS countries. The project also includes group workshops and webinars on management practices and international partnerships, as well as the integration of participants into the events of the BRICS WBA and Directorate of the World Youth Festival. The practical component is of particular importance: as a result of the program, 10 internships will be organized for young entrepreneurs with the possibility of further attracting investments for business development. I am convinced that such comprehensive support – through education, mentoring and real growth opportunities – will create a powerful impetus for the development of cooperation within BRICS and open up new horizons for women’s entrepreneurship,” said Dmitry Ivanov.
In conclusion, the session participants expressed their support for the program and their willingness to become business mentors within the framework of this youth project.
“Today, a significant number of women work in the field of healthcare and the production of medicines. And our company is one of such striking examples. Therefore, I am pleased to support the mentoring program initiative that we discussed today and I am ready to share my experience with women entrepreneurs,” stated Ludmila Scherbakova, President, Velpharm Group, Member of the Russian Chapter, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance.
Link for the session: https://forumspb.com/en/programme/business-programme/145480/?ELEMENT_ID=145480&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fforumspb.com%2F
