The first International Case Conference of the BRICS+ Youth Geographical Association, titled "BRICS+ Youth Geography Exchange: Country Perspectives in Focus," was held as the pre-program of the inaugural BRICS+ Youth Geographical Forum.
The event, which brought together representatives from 53 countries and was hosted online by the Russian Geographical Society (Ulyanovsk Regional Branch), provided an excellent platform for exchanging experiences, developing joint approaches to environmental and climate challenges, and strengthening scientific cooperation among young scientists from BRICS+ member countries.
In this context, Dr. Meysam Mahmoodabadi, faculty member and Assistant Professor at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), participated as a speaker from the Islamic Republic of Iran, delivering a presentation titled "Active Tectonics and Earthquake Hotspots of Iran: A Country Case Study for BRICS Resilience Strategies."
In his speech, Dr. Mahmoodabadi highlighted Iran's unique seismic setting, noting that a large portion of Iran's population resides near active fault lines, emphasizing the critical need for earthquake research. He elaborated on the institute's multidisciplinary approach, including studies of Earth's structure, early warning systems, ground motion modeling, geotechnics, building code development, and the creation of resilient models. He stressed the importance of scientific cooperation among BRICS countries for exchanging seismic data, developing artificial intelligence algorithms, harmonizing engineering standards, and enhancing risk management to reduce earthquake vulnerability.
The conference also featured prominent speakers from India, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Russia, who presented on topics such as the blue economy, climate change, agriculture, geological heritage conservation, and disaster resilience.
It is worth noting that the in-person segment of the forum will take place from September 21 to 25, 2026, hosted by the Ulyanovsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society and the Russia-BRICS Project Office for International Youth Cooperation in the cities of Ulyanovsk and Moscow. It should also be mentioned that the idea of establishing "BRICS Geographer's Day" was proposed by the Russian Geographical Society, supported by the President of the Russian Federation, and approved at the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024. The BRICS+ Youth Geographical Association represents an effective step toward developing this initiative and creating a permanent platform for scientific and humanitarian cooperation among young scientists from member countries and their partners.
