SIEMENS

What does the acronym BRIC mean to you?

Janaina: It represents a great opportunity and an obligation at the same time. My home country is booming and may well make it to the next level in a fairly short time. When I realized this a few years ago and talked about it enthusiastically with my friends, they just called me a dreamer. Now they have become infected with my exuberance. My practical reaction to this development, however, appeared somewhat counterintuitive: I left Brazil. I went to Europe in order to gain international experience.
Alexander: Some people suggest Russia might not be fit to remain in the group of BRICs. Russia did not go through the financial crisis unscathed and still has a fairly unbalanced economy. But I strongly believe that BRIC should be BRIC and not BIC. There are similar opportunities and challenges for these four countries. The last G20 summit shows it clearly. The BRICs do collaborate effectively on the international stage and they can do so because they share many interests.
Vithal: Here in London I have met many individuals from other BRIC countries. In the beginning I thought of the acronym simply as a basket of four countries with certain similarities. Now it appears way more profound to me. We see here four countries that share a similar sort of destiny, a destiny for greatness. These are up-and-coming superpowers. I feel, being from India now means people attach positive notions to you, like being professional and dedicated.
Li: The financial crisis showed that BRIC countries are on the whole not only dynamic, but also resilient. They will lead the world in the future. Be it in manufacturing, high tech and services. But the West is still ahead of the game in many areas. For me this means I have to learn the ways of the West, to make them fruitful in my home country eventually.

Did the fact that you are a student or a young professional from a BRIC country affect your personal development?

Janaina: Absolutely. I had expected to come to the UK and stay here for many years to gain experience. But in Brazil things evolved even more dynamically than expected. Change is so fast, and Siemens in Brazil is profiting from strong growth. That means increased demand for skills. So they asked for my return to Brazil. That's why I will not follow the Olympics 2012 in London, but rather the Olympics of 2016 in Rio.
Alexander: The fact that Russia on the whole fared well over the past ten years meant a lot of opportunities for me. I was able to go abroad, pursue an international career, while still working for a Russian company. And although I have been in London for seven years now, I am still Russian first of all.
Vithal: Being exposed to this great diversity in London taught me what it is to be Indian. This sense of being Indian is actually hard to achieve while being in India, not only because of the regionalism which is still prevalent within my country. This kind of greater conscience of myself is to an extent a beautiful aspect of the very globalization that so strongly and positively affects my home country economically.
Li: I have been very lucky. I am from a small town and had to work very hard to make my way to a good university, then abroad to study. Chinese of my generation work on the assumption that there is opportunity out there. The main question is whether you work hard enough to make it work out for you.

Some people feel there are more countries that should qualify for BRIC status. Which country would you include?

Janaina: I would say South Africa. They did a marvelous job for the World Cup and proved that they are on a good track. It cannot be a coincidence that the Chinese – who are extremely successful in the Brazilian market – are also highly active in Africa.
Alexander: I go for Mexico. Macro-economically they are on a good path and with Mexico City they have one of the largest cities in the world, which can evolve into a genuine international hub. On a more general note I think that emerging economies do have to think more about urbanism and about how to deal with growing megacities.
Li: My pick is Vietnam. The country appears to me a bit like China 20 years ago – although, obviously, on a much smaller scale. They are now growing very competitive in manufacturing. This can bring them to the next level. For China, however, relying on manufacturing and export to a large extent may not prove to be sustainable anymore. Therefore the country is making a great effort to upgrade to high tech industries, such as green energy.
Vithal: I'd say South Korea. The right things are working for them. They have a good educational system, they are close to China, a future world leader, and they have a sound model both economically and politically.