BRICSAM

Project Members: Agata Antkiewicz, Alan S. Alexandroff, Andrew F. Cooper, Daniel Schwanen, Gregory Chin, John M. Curtis, John Whalley, Manmohan Agarwal, Ramesh Thakur, and Terry Sicular

Project Overview

BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA, CHINA, SOUTH AFRICA, ASEAN states, and MEXICO

Shifting Economic Power and International Governance The BRICSAM countries are a group of large developing economies whose elevated economic growth and growing regional and international influence will have ripple effects on the world. Not only will these countries experience significant changes as a result of their economic and political rise, but the BRICSAM countries are also likely to be the beneficiaries of this change as the global economic balance of power shifts away from the industrialized countries.

CIGI is taking a leading role in analyzing the prospective extent and implications of this power shift and potential developments in these economies. The BRICSAM project is an umbrella for a number of semi-autonomous research streams within CIGI. All the streams contribute to the ultimate goal of the BRICSAM project: to understand the likely impact of large emerging economies - the BRICSAM countries - on the system and institutions of global economic governance. One stream, called BRICSAM (Economies), examines the economic growth process and policies in the BRICSAM economies, and the implications of the interrelationships among these economies and between them and the rest of the world. Specific emphasis is placed on FDI, productivity, financial reform and education, in addition to specific sectors of the four economies. This stream is led by Distinguished Fellow John Whalley. A second stream, Economic Diplomacy, focuses on the political and diplomatic consequences of the economic emergence of the B(R)ICSAM countries. It explores whether it is simply structural/economic bigness’ or a more nuanced mix of global economic competitiveness, roles as regional anchors, and diplomatic skills that is being used by these countries to pursue their agency in the international system, especially in the context of the recent G8 Summits. The Economic Diplomacy stream is led by Distinguished Fellow Andrew F. Cooper. A third stream looks specifically at the looming challenges to the global trade and financial system, and also the opportunities, stemming from the emergence of BRICSAM countries, especially in trade, finance and competitiveness. Distinguished Fellow John Curtis leads this stream.

Participant Organizations