Alumni Association
Articles
ARTICLES OF THE JSPS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE UK AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
ARTICLE 1: Name and Location
The name of the organization shall be the JSPS Alumni Association of the UK and the Republic of Ireland (RoI), and shall hereafter be referred to as the Association. The Association is located in London.
ARTICLE 2: Organisation
The Association incorporates an executive committee and regional managers to represent the whole membership and shall here after be referred to as the Committee.
ARTICLE 3: Organisation
The objective of the Association is to promote scientific exchange between the UK or RoI and Japan. In pursuit of this objective, the Association will carry out the following activities:
Provide personal and expert guidance to researchers under JSPS International Programmes and to support Japanese researchers working in the UK and RoI.
Exchange information among Association members.
Conduct joint activities with academic institutions and science promotion agencies.
Collect and disseminate information regarding science, technology, society and culture.
Conduct other appropriate activities.
ARTICLE 4: Programme Year
The fiscal year for the Association's Programme runs from 1 April until 31 March.
ARTICLE 5: Membership
There are two categories of membership; regular and honorary.
All persons who have received support from a JSPS International Funding Programme are eligible for regular membership.
Honorary membership may be granted to persons who have made significant contributions to UK or RoI academic collaboration with Japan and JSPS activities in the UK or RoI. Consideration for honorary membership will be by nomination or invitation by a member of the association's Committee or JSPS London.
Membership notification will be made in writing by JSPS London.
The Association requires no fee for Membership, however the Association reserves the right to introduce a membership fee at any time.
Lifetime membership will be terminated in the following cases: Submission of a written withdrawal notice to an Association's Commitee by the end of the calendar year.
Expulsion from the Association.
A member whose actions are clearly deemed detrimental to the Association may be expelled by the decision of the Committee. In such cases, an expulsion notice is to be sent to the member by registered mail with signed receipt of delivery. The member may appeal to the decision through a written letter addressed to the Committee within a period of one month. The Committee, in consultation with JSPS Tokyo, via JSPS London, will render a decision on the appeal.
ARTICLE 6: Rights of Members
The Committee can refer issues to the whole membership to vote on.
Each regular member is allotted one vote to cast in decision making.
A member may delegate in writing his/her vote to another regular member.
ARTICLE 7: Committee
The Committee comprises of six officials including a Chair and two Co-chairs as well as regional managers representing Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and RoI. The Committee can deputise as required. Only regular members are eligible to hold these positions. Officials can be nominated by JSPS London or other members of the Committee under the supervision of the Chair and an election undertaken by the Committee on behalf of the whole membership.
The Committee shall perform all functions required by JSPS London.
An official meeting of the Executive Committee can only take place with at least a quorum present.
A quorum comprises of the attendance of the Chair or a Co-chair and four other Committee members.
Committee decisions may be made through the holding of meetings or by way of letter, telephone, email or other appropriate electronic technology.
All Committee decisions will be recorded in a memorandum made and kept by JSPS London and can be accessed by the whole membership.
ARTICLE 8: Officials
Committee members are to be rotated out annually.
Officials will serve without remuneration and have the right to resign at any time.
Officials may be dismissed by a 75% vote of all other Committee members, if they are found to act in serious violation of these Articles.
ARTICLE 9: Duties of Officials
The Chair presides over the Committee and whole membership, and is the official representative of the Association.
The Co-chairs assist the Chair, and supervise activities of the Association. They also perform the functions of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.
ARTICLE 10: Whole Membership
The whole membership comprises of all of the Association's regular members.
Individuals of the whole membership have the right to petition the Association via JSPS London.
If the situation demands, a meeting of the whole membership may be organised by the appropriate forum and normally outcomes can be decided by the majority vote.
In the case of an urgent meeting being called, the Chair should be allowed to take action in consultation with as many members of the Committee as possible.
ARTICLE 11: Dissolution of the Association
If the Association is dissolved or its objective abandoned, the Association's assets shall revert to JSPS for use in carrying out scientific exchanges between the UK or RoI and Japan.
*These articles were last revised on 20th April 2015 and shall take effect from this point.
