Founding Members of the BRICS Law Institute

The following founding documents were signed according to the results of the arrangements on the establishment of the Institute:

• Memorandum of understanding and cooperation in the BRICS Law Institute project of 17 June 2015 and Attachment to the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on the BRICS law institute project;
• Shanghai declaration of 15 October 2015;
• Draft Memorandum: Proposals Concerning the Joint Education Programs of the Russian and Chinese Law Universities of 13 October 2015.

Thus, the establishment of the Institute went through several stages, during which the number of participants from the leading law universities of the BRICS states increased significantly.

Initially, according to the Memorandum of 17 June 2015 there were the following founding universities:

• Pontifical Catholic University São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil);
• University of São Paulo (Sao Paulo, Brazil);
• Ural State Law University (Yekaterinburg, Russia);
• National Law University (Jodhpur / जोधपुर, India);
• Beijing Union University (Beijing, China);
• University of Pretoria (Pretoria, Republic of South Africa).

At the second stage, according to the Initiative for the establishment of the Alliance of legal universities of 15 October 2015, the establishment of the Institute was supported by authoritative scientific schools and law universities of the BRICS countries (see  Associate members), in particular:

• East China University of Political Science and Law;
• Moscow State Law University (Russia);
•  India law institute;
•  Amity University (India);
•  University of Cape Town (Republic of South Africa).

Additionally, the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD)  joined this project and became one of the founders of the Institute on the basis of the separate agreement of 14 May 2015.

The participants of the Shanghai Declaration appreciated the importance of legal research in the framework of the BRICS member states and the establishment of the BRICS Law Institute in Yekaterinburg, the Institute of Legal Studies of the BRICS at the East China University of Political Science and Law and Research Unit at the Center for Comparative Law in Africa University of Cape Town. These institutions, together with the future centers, opened in the universities of the BRICS countries, will provide a platform for the academic community and practitioners of the Member States for fundamental and systematic research, focused on the theory and practice of law in the framework of cooperation of the BRICS.