Today the seminar BRICS - Similarities and Differences in the creation and maintenance of new businesses is taking places in São Paulo - a partnership between the Brazilian Institute for Quality and Productivity (IBQP) and the Center for Entrepreneurship and New Businesses (GVcenn) of São Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV-EAESP), sponsored by Sebrae.  The event will analyze the environment and the dynamics for the creation and maintenance of new ventures in the five countries of the group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), in order to stimulate new areas of joint action. Altogether, these economies represent 18% of the world's GDP.The foreign speakers are the Professor of the Department of Strategic and International Management at the University of St. Petersburg, Olga Verkhovskaya; the director of the Entrepreneurship School of the Development Institute of India, Sunil Shukla; the senior deputy professor of the Graduate School of Business and executive director of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), Mike Herrington, from South Africa; and the Commercial Consul of China in São Paulo, Yu Yong.The participation of the General Consuls of Russia, Konstantin Sergeevich Kamenev; China, Chen Xi; and India, G.V. Srinivas are also confirmed - besides the Ambassador of South Africa, Mphakama Mbete. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil will be represented by the Councilor Elio Cardoso, chief of the BRICS division.The Brazilian speakers are Marco Aurélio Bedê, from Sebrae, who will speak about entrepreneurship in the country; Gustavo Fanaya, of IBQP, and EAESP's professor, Antonio Gelis, addressing the similarities between the countries with regards to new businesses.The seminar Similarities and Differences in the creation and maintenance of new business will be held on December 4th and 5th at FGV's Berrini unit, at Av. das Nações Unidas, 12, Itaim Bibi, São Paulo.The lectures are open to the public and will be simultaneously translated into Portuguese and English.For more information and registration, please call IBQP at +55 41 3264-2246 or visit www.ibqp.org.br (in Portuguese).