Arsenii Kirgizov-Barskii has served as Assistant to Chair of the BRICS Youth Energy Agency since 2019.

Previously, he served as the SDG №7 Youth Envoy to Russia (2017-2019) and Founder of the BRICS YEA Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Platform, leading collaboration with UN entities and youth organizations on sustainable development and climate issues.

In 2020-2021, Mr Kirgizov-Barskii held a leadership position as the Regional Coordinator of the Global Youth Energy Outlook by Student Energy and presented the project at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, UK. As COP26 Party Delegate, he organized events in the framework of the Youth and Arctic Days at the Russian COP26 Pavilion.

In 2021-2023, Arsenii Kirgizov-Barskii has participated in the official program of Russia’s Chairmanship in the Arctic Council. As the First Secretary of MGIMO Arctic Student Research Club, he was among the hosts of the International Model Arctic Council (MAC). Over the years, he participated in a number of international conferences on Arctic issues in Iceland, Norway, Russia, Finland and Japan.

Mr Kirgizov-Barskii holds a B.A. in International Relations and Energy Policy from MGIMO International Energy Policy and Diplomacy Institute, and an M.A. in International Relations from MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. In 2021, he completed a Master’s exchange program at the University of Bergen, Norway, having studied international law and global energy and climate governance.

Vadim Kuznetsov has served as Director, Sustainability and Climate Initiatives since late 2020. Previously, he joined the Agency in 2019 as a Project Manager of the SDG Platform.

In 2022, Mr Kuznetsov is a Youth Delegate from Russia to the Group of 20 (G20) at the Sustainable and Livable Planet Working Group aimed at developing proposals for sustainable growth, climate solutions and carbon regulation in twenty participating countries.

In 2022, he took part in «Sustainable Energy for All» Forum in Kigali, Rwanda representing the BRICS Youth Energy Agency. He co-organized two sessions on the energy transition and green economy.

Vadim also serves as the UN SDG №7 Youth Envoy to Russia (2021-2022) working to promote efforts aimed at ensuringaccess to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Internationally, he also acts as Regional Focal Point for Europe at the SDG7 Youth Constituency by the UN MGCY.

Previously, in 2021, Mr Kuznetsov was selected to participate in the first International Youth Summit on Climate Change «Youth4Climate» in Milan, Italy. Notably, he co-drafted a section of the final communiqué on measures strengtheningmultilateralism in international climate negotiations.

As Party Delegate, Vadim also took part in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK where he co-organized a series of sessions on energy and climate for the COP26 Youth Day.

Mr Kuznetsov holds a B.A. in International Relations from MGIMO University. In 2022, he successfully completed a nine-week School of Climate Change by Oxford Climate Society.

Harsh Suri is the Co-Founder of The Geostrata, an independent youth-led think tank based in India. Hailing from the region of Jammu and Kashmir, Harsh recently completed his BA in Political Science Honours from Hindu College, University of Delhi.

As part of the W20 Secretariat Team under India’s G20 Presidency, he will be attending the W20 Meet in Mahabalipuram as a special invitee by the Government of India.

With a notable inclination towards dialogues surrounding geopolitics and climate-related issues, Harsh welcomes the opportunity to engage in conversations on these subjects, making himself available for discussions at any convenient time.

As a professional, Mr Suri holds prominent roles within the organisation. He serves as the head curator for the graphics and illustrations, wherein he demonstrates quintessential expertise in crafting visually compelling and emotion-provoking graphics for the Geostrata.

He also serves as a member of the leadership committee of Covering China and Covering MEA, two specialized sub-divisions of The Geostrata.

Additionally, he is part of the Strategic Desk and Planning Committee, contributing his strategic insights and meticulous planning abilities to drive the organization’s vision and initiatives forward.

Irina holds Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (Belarusian State University, 2018) and Master’s Degree in History of International Relations and Foreign Policy (Belarusian State University, 2020). Currently, she is a young researcher on the BRICS studies at the HSE University.

Irina has participated in the Erasmus+ exchange programme (University of Kent, 2020), and has successfully completed the Early Career Training School for young researchers (Canterbury, the UK).

Irina has been the Head of student participation working groups of two academic projects with universities in Sweden and the UK. She has work experience at non-profit organizations in the field of sustainable development and green economy, and has been a UNDP intern in Belarus. Now she is taking the Oxford Climate Society course on climate change.

Since 2023, Irina has served as the BRICS YEA Director for Research Initiatives