The BRICS group in the spotlight. An interdisciplinary approach

More than 40% of the inhabitants of the planet live in the BRICS countries, and one fifth of the world’s wealth is generated from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. What is also important to consider, when talking about the BRICS, is how fast these emerging countries are becoming main actors, and often real protagonists, in fields such as world economics, geopolitics and global opportunities. This publication collects the proceedings of the international conference “The BRICS Group in the Spotlight”, held on the 6-7 November 2014 at University of Parma. This conference aimed to encourage systematic, interdisciplinary analysis about the importance of BRICS vis-à-vis contemporary debates in the socio-political, economic, geopolitical and legal studies realms. This volume gathers 16 research contributions from 24 scholars from all around the world. It is divided into four parts: BRICS and global politics; BRICS, socio-economic rights and social inequalities; BRICS’ economic dimensions; BRICS, sustainable development and energy