BRICS Working Group meeting on ICT and HPC hosted by Lobachevsky University

On 20 and 21 September, the 8th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Information and Communication Technology and High Performance Computing (ICT and HPC) was held at Lobachevsky University with the support of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod region. The participants discussed cooperation in such areas as high-performance computing and its applications to weather, climate and environmental modelling; supercomputing applications for artificial intelligence, drug development, medicine and healthcare, as well as geoinformatics for sustainable development.

Oleg Trofimov, Rector of Lobachevsky University, addressed the participants of the meeting with welcoming remarks. He noted that it is a great honour for the university to host the meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Information and Communication Technology and High Performance Computing for the second time.

“Such meetings allow us to better understand each other and lay the foundation for long-term and sustainable co-operation between our countries. Information and Communication Technology and Computing is one of the key topics in the BRICS agenda. This area is experiencing rapid growth around the world and presents us with new challenges that require deeper reflection. As you know, there is not only a technical but also an ethical side to the issue of artificial intelligence development. Today, we must make every effort to work together to develop a common framework and tools that will allow us to adequately respond to the great challenges facing the world,“  Oleg Trofimov said.

The Rector also noted that Lobachevsky University is one of the leaders and pioneers of IT development in Russia.  It was here, back in 1963, that the first Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics in the Soviet Union was established.

Alexey Alyokhin, Deputy Director of the Digital Development Department at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, who took part in the event, pointed out:

“This is the first time we are meeting in an enlarged format during the period of Russian presidency in BRICS in 2024. I am convinced that the involvement of scientists and experts from the new BRICS member countries will help us reach new heights in joint research in the field of ICT and HPC. BRICS countries have significant scientific and technological potential. Joint R&D in the field of AI and other advanced technologies can contribute to the creation of new products and services that will be in demand in the global market“.

Lobachevsky University is a member of the BRICS Working Group on Information and Communication Technology and High Performance Computing Systems.

Olga Guseva, Minister of International and Interregional Relations of the regional government, spoke about the importance of the event held at the University:

“Nizhny Novgorod region is not just a region with a rich history, but also a real centre of scientific thought and innovation. Leading research universities and technology companies that make a significant contribution to the development of science and IT are based here. In the age of rapid development of information technology, cooperation with the BRICS countries is of particular relevance. Sharing experience is a new springboard for development, opening up new horizons and opportunities for joint research and new projects. The participation of delegations from China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Iran and other countries in the 8th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on ICT and HPC clearly demonstrates the mutual desire to develop cooperation in this area. We are ready to share our experience and learn from the representatives of the BRICS countries. I am confident that by working together we will be able to create a solid foundation for prosperity and progress.“

Vladimir Voevodin, Co-Chair of the Working Group, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stressed that each of the countries represented at the meeting has its own strengths: some have excelled in the field of computing resources, some have serious achievements in the field of supercomputer education, some have good achievements in climate modelling or other applied areas.

“For example, China boasts powerful technological development, India is building its global supercomputing infrastructure and is training a huge number of personnel in this field. In South Africa, training in supercomputer technologies allows its representatives to win prizes at the world's leading student competitions. Brazil is studying environmental problems, which is important both for this country and for all partner countries. We can see that joining our efforts is already well underway,“ the scientist remarked.

Professor Fabio Borges de Oliveira, Director of the National Laboratory of Scientific Computing from Brazil, noted that one of the most important issues raised at the Working Group meeting is the development of artificial intelligence. Today, hardly any scientific research can be done without the use of AI. The scientist emphasised that together with their colleagues from Russia, they share common values and approaches to family, culture and traditions, and this helps them to understand each other better and build scientific cooperation more productively.

The meeting brought together about 50 representatives of the BRICS countries - professionals and experts in the field of information and communication technology and high performance computing systems, including heads of research organisations, scientists, experts and researchers, representatives of the business community and governmental science and education authorities. Delegations from PRC, India, South Africa, Brazil, Iran, Egypt and Russia took part in the event.

Konstantin Barkalov, Head of the UNN Department of Mathematical Software and Supercomputing Technology, made a report on research projects in the field of supercomputing technology being carried out at Lobachevsky University.

Following the meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Information and Communication Technology and High Performance Computing Systems, three priority research areas were identified: supercomputer codesign methods for high-performance computing and artificial intelligence; large language models; and applications using high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. Plans are underway to organise joint research projects in these areas.