Think tanks from Brazil, Russia, India and China, collectively known as BRIC nations, have a unique role to play in enhancing cooperation among the four nations, a Chinese academic said Wednesday.

"Through our research and efforts, we can contribute to the economic and social development in our respective countries, to the coordinated development among the four countries, and to the recovery of the world economy," Li Yang, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua at the BRIC-Think Tank Summit in Brasilia.

The academician said he believes that the role of BRIC think tanks will grow along with the deepening of cooperation among their countries. So it was necessary to intensify academic exchanges between these countries and to "carry out targeted collaborative research."

"BRIC countries should and can reinforce and expand cooperation, because we are all developing countries and share the common historical tasks and interests," he noted.

The academician suggested that joint research could be launched to develop solutions to climate change, which he said is "the most severe challenge" the world faces.

"In addressing the issue of climate change, BRIC countries, besides coordinating our respective positions on major issues, need to further expand cooperation through the exchanges of concrete technologies in such areas as clean energy, forest protection, improvement of energy efficiency and so on," Li said.

He also said Brazil, Russia, India and China share similar positions on issues concerning the reforms of international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

"The reform of the international monetary system will be an arduous and long-term task. While adhering to the path of reform, we need to jointly make the utmost efforts to promote financial cooperation among BRIC countries," Li said.

In that regard, Li suggested BRIC countries could use their own currencies in trade with each other and promote currency swaps among themselves.

Held ahead of the second BRIC summit, the gathering of think tanks from BRIC countries focuses on the role of the BRIC countries in the post-crisis global transformation.