QUANZHOU, Fujian, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Five think tanks from the BRICS countries Friday signed a memorandum to begin exchanges and conduct joint research.

The memo was signed on the sidelines of the Seminar on BRICS Governance in Fujian Province prior to the Ninth BRICS Summit.

The five think tanks are China International Publishing Group, The Thinker Magazine of South Africa, Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Delhi's Department of East Asian Studies and China-Brazil Center for Research and Business.

According to the deal, the five will share research information, arrange exchanges between researchers beginning next year, hold joint research every year on mutually-interested topics, and co-organize academic seminars.

Wang Gangyi, deputy director of China International Publishing Group, said BRICS think tanks need to cooperate more as the BRICS mechanism enters its second decade. Substantial research and advice is needed to promote BRICS to become a new leading platform for South-South cooperation and global governance.