It is necessary to create a worthy alternative to the Nobel Prize; this can be done within the framework of BRICS, Anton Kobyakov, advisor to the Russian president and head of the interdepartmental working group on the preparation and holding of the Congress of Young Scientists, said.
"The time has come when we, together with our partners, need to think about a worthy alternative to the Nobel Prize. Perhaps this is within the BRICS framework, perhaps on the basis of non-governmental forms of cooperation, but this must definitely be done," he stated.
He argued that many foreign scientific data systems were discredited, citing the widespread practice of Russian and other scientists paying intermediaries to secure co-authorship with prominent researchers to boost their rankings.
Kobyakov called for an alternative to the Hirsch index, arguing that its focus on citations, rather than scientific discovery, is inappropriate for humanitarian research and is manipulated by Western intelligence agencies. He also advocated for the development of independent BRICS-based scientific citation criteria and databases.
The IV Congress of Young Scientists, held on November 27-29 in Sirius, brought together over 7,000 participants from 40 countries to foster dialogue between science, government, and industry. The program included roundtables, expert sessions, and company exhibitions, as well as BRICS young scientist and innovator forums.