The International Festival of Youth – 2026, taking place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17 as part of the Youth and Children national project, will serve as a key venue for participants of the BRICS+ International Youth Mentoring Program. As part of the Festival, young professionals and entrepreneurs will take part in special sessions and III BRICS Women's Entrepreneurship Forum. The forum will run from September 15 to 16 and will bring together more than 200 participants – business leaders, senior executives, government officials, representatives of academic and research circles, and young entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries. The program will include panel discussions, expert interviews, workshops and master classes, multimedia exhibits, and film screenings.
"Today there is a wide range of mechanisms in place to support business initiatives, including projects launched by young entrepreneurs. Among them are our Mentoring Program and the BRICS Women's Business Alliance, with its full toolkit of resources," noted Anna Nesterova, mentor of the BRICS+ Mentoring Program, chairperson of the BRICS WBA Russian Chapter, and founder of the Palekh Watch watchmaking manufactory.
On August 24, a major block of online modules within the BRICS+ Mentoring Program came to a close. Thirty participants from 12 countries – Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran, China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa – have already completed 4 of the 6 planned stages. They attended lectures, completed practical assignments, and analyzed Russian and international case studies. More than 85% of participants rated the modules highly for their quality and practical value. At the Festival, participants will meet their mentors in person for the first time, present their projects, and learn the Program's interim results.
The Program's mentors include leading experts and company executives from Russia, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, Iran, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and India.
"The best investment you can make when you are young is an investment in your own education. A diploma can open a door, but it is ongoing learning, curiosity, and a willingness to pick up new skills that let you create opportunities that did not exist before. The five-hour rule: set aside at least five hours a week for your own development – learning new technologies, reading professional literature, taking courses, or talking with experts. The compounding effect of continuous learning becomes, over time, your greatest competitive advantage and your most reliable asset in a fast-changing world," said Aizhan Ashimova, mentor of the BRICS+ Mentoring Program, education entrepreneur, and book writer.
Among the participants are the creators of striking, socially meaningful initiatives across a wide range of fields – from biomedical technology and aviation systems to creative industries, fintech, and social entrepreneurship. Lyubov Aksyonova of Russia created an AI platform for diagnosing eye diseases that automatically analyzes retinal images, detects 12 pathologies, and helps doctors improve diagnostic accuracy. Sabrina Maciel of Brazil runs an agricultural company that helps farmers boost crop yields using drones, mapping, and software. Dela Novita Sari of Indonesia created a platform for preserving and studying local languages, offering courses, video lessons, games, and text translation to help halt the disappearance of rare languages and cultures.
"Remember: it is easier to prevent a fire than to put one out. In business, that means investing your energy in preventing crises, not in heroically overcoming them. A true professional is not seen at the moment of putting out the fire, but in how they organize their work so that the fire never happens in the first place," noted Elena Chashchina, co-owner and managing partner of the EPOTOS Group of Companies and a member of the BRICS WBA Russian Chapter.
The BRICS+ International Mentoring Program runs in a hybrid format and will conclude on December 18, 2026. Its goal is to help Russian and international professionals and entrepreneurs develop their skills, exchange experience with experts, and receive mentorship support for their projects. The program is organized by the World Youth Festival Directorate and the BRICS Women's Business Alliance. In 2026, the Program received 550 applications from more than 30 countries around the world.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place in Sirius on March 1-7, 2024, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
In line with the Russian President’s instructions to preserve and further develop the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will welcome 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will take place in 2030.
The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community of young people committed to shaping a better future.