ABOUT AAPPS

Constitution

Constitution of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies
  • 1. name

    The Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) is hereafter referred to as "the Association".

  • 2. objectives
    2.1.
    The Association aims to promote the advancement of knowledge in physics in the Asia Pacific region, including research, application and teaching, especially through international collaboration in these activities in this region.
    2.2.
    In furtherance of these aims, the Association may, upon authorization of Council, organize conferences and workshops, establish specialist divisions and subcommittees, and publish newsletters and journals.
  • 3. membership
    3.1.
    There shall be two categories of Member Societies: Members and Associate Members; there shall be no individual members.
    3.2.
    Initially the Members shall consist of the Physical Societies listed in Appendix A, which are the Founding Members.
    3.3.
    Physical Societies within the Asia Pacific region bounded by Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Australia and New Zealand may apply to join the Association as Members or Associate Members.
    3.4.
    Membership is open to Societies which represent broad areas of physics, a major specialist area of physics, or physics teaching at the university level.
    3.5.
    Associate Membership is open to Societies not meeting the requirements for Membership, such as those representing physics teaching at pre-university level or areas considered peripheral to physics.
    3.6.
    Council shall consider applications from Societies for membership and may, by majority vote, admit each applicant as a Member or an Associate Member.
    3.7.
    Applications for Membership or Associate Membership from Societies not meeting the conditions in Clauses (3.3) (3.5) may also be considered at the discretion of Council.
    3.8.
    Council may, by a two-third majority, terminate the Membership or Associate Membership of any Society.
  • 4. general meeting
    4.1.
    There will be Ordinary General Meetings at intervals of no more than four years. The date and place of the Ordinary General Meeting shall be determined by Council and all Members and Associate Members shall be notified at least six months in advance.
    4.2.
    Council may request the President to call an Extraordinary General Meeting at such date and place as Council shall determine, and all Members and Associate Members shall be notified immediately and at least three months in advance.
    4.3.
    Each Member and Associate Member Society shall nominate one Official Representative to each General Meeting. Such a nomination must be in writing, be signed by the President of the Society, and must reach the Secretary of the Association at least one month before the General Meeting.
    4.4.
    Except as provided in Clause 7.3, at any General Meeting the Official Representative of each Member shall have one vote and the Official Representative of each Associate Member shall have no vote.
    4.5.
    Members of Council shall attend the General Meeting but shall have no votes, unless they are the Official representative of Member Societies.
    4.6.
    Council may invite other individuals to attend the General Meeting as observers without votes.
    4.7.
    The President of the Association shall preside at the General Meeting.
  • 5. council
    5.1.
    There shall be a Council which shall make all operational, financial and other decisions for the Association.
    5.2.
    The outgoing President shall be an ex officio member of Council for one term.
    5.3.
    At each Ordinary General Meeting, no more than 15 and no fewer than 9 individuals shall be elected to serve as members of Council, from the beginning of the following year until the end of the year of the next Ordinary General Meeting. Any individual is eligible for election to Council, save that no more than 25 % of the members of Council appointed/elected under this Clause and Clause (5.2) shall come from one country or region, as defined in Bylaws.
    5.4.
    The Secretary appointed according to Clause (6.7) or (6.8), if not already an elected member of Council under Clause (5.3), shall be a member of Council.
    5.5.
    The Treasurer appointed according to Clause (6.7) or (6.8), if not already an elected member of Council under Clause (5.3), shall be a non-voting member of Council.
    5.6.
    Council may co-opt individuals to fill vacancies on the Council arising from resignation.
  • 6. officers
    6.1.
    The Officers of the Association shall be: The President, the Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.
    6.2.
    The President and Vice-President shall be elected by Council among its own members, and shall hold office during the term of the Council. The outgoing President shall not be eligible for re-election as President, and shall be responsible for conducting the election of the new President and Vice-President
    6.3.
    The election of the President and Vice-President shall be conducted at a meeting of the new members of Council following the Ordinary General Meeting, provided that two-third of the Council members are present. Otherwise the election shall be conducted by postal ballot. These elections will be completed before the end of the year of the Ordinary General Meeting.
    6.4.
    The President or Vice-President may be removed by a two-third majority of Council.
    6.5.
    If the office of the President becomes vacant for any reason, the Vice-President shall become the acting President until a new President is elected by Council.
    6.6.
    The President shall preside at General Meetings and Council Meetings. The President shall report annually to Council, and at the end of his term to the Ordinary General Meeting, the various activities of the Association including fund raising, for approval by Council and the Ordinary General Meeting respectively.
    6.7.
    The President shall propose candidates for Secretary and Treasurer and appoint them to the respective offices after approval by Council.
    6.8.
    The Secretary or Treasurer may be removed by a majority of Council. The President shall then propose new candidates for Secretary and/or Treasurer and appoint them to the respective offices after approval by Council.
    6.9.
    The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of the activities of the Association.
    6.10.
    The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping the accounts of the Association, and shall submit a financial report annually to Council for approval. A financial report duly audited by an independent auditor appointed by Council shall also be submitted to the Ordinary General Meeting for approval.
  • 7. finance
    7.1.
    The fiscal year shall start on 1 January and end on 31 December.
    7.2.
    Each Member Society shall pay annual membership fees of one unit to the Association, at the start of each fiscal year. The currency and amount of the unit of the membership fees will be decided by Council annually three months before the start of each fiscal year and notified to Member Societies. Associate Member Societies shall pay no dues.
    7.3.
    Any Member Society which is in arrears in the payment of membership fees shall have no vote at General Meetings.
    7.4.
    Council and the President shall make an effort to raise additional funds in support of the activities of the Association.
  • 8. bylaws

    Council may make bylaws.

  • 9. amendment to the constitution
    9.1.
    Proposals for changes to the Constitution may be made by any Member in writing to the President.
    9.2.
    If the proposal receives majority support within the Council, the President shall (a) notify all Members immediately in writing and (b) either schedule the proposal for discussion at the next Ordinary General Meeting or convene an Extraordinary General Meeting.
    9.3.
    A change to the Constitution shall require a two-thirds majority vote of all those present and eligible to vote at a General Meeting.
(Revised on August 18th, 1997)
Bylaws of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies
  • interprepretation
    1
    Council shall be the final authority in the interpretation of the Constitution or Bylaws.
  • application for membership /associate membership
    2
    Applications to join AAPPS as a Member or Associate Member shall be addressed to the President of the Association on such forms and providing such information as may be required. The President may schedule the application for decision by postal ballot of Council or for discussion at the next Council Meeting and shall notify the applicant of the decision.
  • general meeting
    3
    Notice of a General Meeting (Clauses (4.1) and (4.2) of Constitution) should contain the proposed Agenda. Members or Associate Members wishing to raise other items should inform the Secretary in writing at least one month before the General Meeting.
    4
    At an Ordinary General Meeting, the Agenda shall include the following:
    (a) to receive the report of the President;
    (b) to receive the audited financial report from the Treasurer;
    (c) to elect the new Council.
  • nominations to council
    5
    Nomination by outgoing Council: Six months before each Ordinary General Meeting, the outgoing shall determine the size of the next Council in accordance with Clause (5.1) of the Constitution and propose a slate of candidates no fewer than the number of positions to be filled, bearing in mind the need for balance, continuity as well as the injection of fresh talent. The Secretary shall then inform Member Societies of the number of positions to be filled and of the slate of candidates proposed, and request Member Societies to second the nominations if desired. All such nominations will be valid only if seconded by at least one Member Society three months before the Ordinary General Meeting.
    6
    Other nominations: The Secretary shall at the same time invite Member Societies to make other nominations if they so wish, such nominations being valid only if they have been seconded by another Member Society and reach the Secretary at least three months before the Ordinary General Meeting.
    7
    At least one month before the Ordinary General Meeting, the Secretary shall compile the list of all valid nominations, together with information on proposer(s) and seconder(s), and send the list to all Member Societies, and also to all Associate Member Societies for information.
  • election of council
    8
    The election of Council members shall be conducted by ballot at the Ordinary General Meeting, in one or more rounds as necessary. In each round of balloting each Official Representative of a Member Society will cast votes equal in number to the remaining positions. A multiple vote for one candidate is not permitted.
    9
    The candidates will be ranked according to the number of votes received, and starting from the candidate with the largest number of votes, each will be declared elected provided.
    (a) there is at least one remaining vacancy to be filled; and
    (b) the number of votes received is a simple majority of the number of Official Representatives present and eligible to vote; and
    (c) the election of the candidate would not cause more than 25% of the Council appointed/elected according to Clauses (5.2) and (5.3) of the Constitution to be from one country or region, as defined in Bylaws.
    10
    If some vacancies remain, further rounds of balloting will be conducted subject to the same rules, after eliminating candidates
    (a) who have already been elected in a previous round; or
    (b) whose election would cause more than 25% of the Council appointed/elected according to Clauses (5.2) and (5.3) of the Constitution to be from one country or region, as defined in Bylaws; or
    (c) who received the fewest number of votes in the previous round; or
    (d) who are present and voluntarily withdraw.
    11
    The above steps are to be repeated until all vacancies are filled.
    12
    In Clause (5.3) of the Constitution and in the above Bylaws, "region" shall mean "a scientific community which effectively represents an independent scientific community which effectively represents independent scientific activity in a definite territory". In the event of ambiguity, the outgoing Council is empowered to determine, for the purpose of Clause (5.3) of the Constitution and these Bylaws, which country or region a particular candidate is from.
  • decisions of council
    13
    Except where otherwise specified in the Constitution or these Bylaws, decisions of Council arrived at during a meeting shall be deemed valid only if
    (a) there is a quorum of two-thirds of the voting members present and the decision is reached by a majority of the voting members present; or
    (b) such a quorum is not present but the decision is carried by a number constituting a majority of the voting members of Council; or
    (c) such a quorum is not present but the decision is subsequently endorsed by a majority of the voting members of Council in a postal ballot.
    14
    Except where otherwise specified in the Constitution or these Bylaws, if no meeting can be conveniently called, decisions by postal ballot will be deemed valid if proposals receive approval from a simple majority of the voting members of Council.
  • election of president and vice president
    15
    At its meeting referred to in Section 6.3 of the Constitution, the members of the next Council shall nominate one or more candidate for the post of President.
    16
    If two-third of the voting members of the new member Council are present, the election of President will be conducted at the Council meeting; otherwise the election will be conducted by postal ballot.
    17
    In either case, each voting new member of Council shall cast one vote and a candidate is elected if he/she receives a simple majority of the number of votes cast.
    18
    If no candidate receives a simple majority, the candidate with the fewest number of votes will be eliminated and any other candidate present may voluntarily withdraw. Further rounds of balloting will then be conducted until a candidate is elected.
    19
    After the President is elected, the new members of Council shall nominate one or more candidates for the post of Vice- President and conduct the election in the same manner as for the President.
  • report of the president
    20
    Before 1 March of each year, the President shall submit a written report to Council on the activities of the Association in the previous calendar year, as well as plans for the current calendar year.
    21
    At the Ordinary General meeting, the President shall also submit a written report to the Meeting on the activities of the Association during the entire term of office of the Council.
    22
    The outgoing President and Secretary shall write jointly to the new President and Secretary the activities of the previous term before 1 February of the next year.
  • financial procedure
    23
    All major expenditure must be approved in principle by Council. Any expenditure or financial commitment which may place the Association into debt, even for a temporary period, must be approved by a two-third majority of Council.
    24
    Council shall authorize the Treasurer to open bank account(s) in such locations and currencies and in such names as Council sees fit, provided that
    (a) each account is held in the name of the Association, or in the name of a Member Society, or in the name of an academic or research institution approved by Council, or jointly in the name of no fewer than three individuals approved by Council;
    (b) each account must require the signature of at least two persons approved by Council for withdrawal;
    (c) all withdrawals and payments above a certain sum determined by Council shall require the written approval of the President;
    save that in jurisdictions where the procedure in (a) and/or (b) is precluded by banking regulations, Council may make alternate arrangements, the terms of which should be recorded in writing.
    25
    Council shall appoint an outside auditor, who shall not be a member of Council, to scrutinize the accounts of the Association as prepared by the Treasurer prior to each Ordinary General Meeting.
    26
    Within two months of the end of each fiscal year, the Treasurer shall submit a financial report for the previous fiscal year for approval by Council: this report should be accompanied by receipts and vouchers for expenditure incurred. The auditor shall scrutinize and certify the accounts, adding such comments as deemed necessary, for submission to Council.
    27
    At least one month before the Ordinary General Meeting, the Treasurer shall submit via Council to the Ordinary General Meeting, an interim financial report for the present year. The audited annual financial reports pertaining since the previous Ordinary General Meeting shall also be submitted to the Ordinary General Meeting.
    28
    The financial reports referred to in Bylaws (26) and (27) shall include
    (a) a statement of all bank balance(s);

    (b) a statement of all income and expenditure; (c) a statement of sums outstanding, including any membership fees in arrears.
    29
    Within one month of leaving office, the outgoing Treasurer shall hand over all accounts to the new Treasurer, and shall provide an interim financial report covering the period since the audited financial report to the Ordinary General Meeting.
Revised on August 18th, 1997
Bylaws for AAPPS Divisions
  • 1. purpose

    The AAPPS Council shall establish Divisions. In each APPC meeting this Division structure will be fully utilized for session organization. Also, the Division itself may organize its own meetings.

  • 2. two types of divisions

    A Division may be either

    a)
    a "regular" Division that originates from a specific science field, or;
    b)
    an "interdisciplinary" Division that originates from one issue or one instrument while it can span many disciplines.
  • 3. establishment of divisions
    a)
    Applications for the formation of a Division should be submitted to the AAPPS President. The application should state:
    ­ the subject that the Division proposes;
    ­ the category of the Division of either "regular" or "interdisciplinary"
    ­ the rules of the Division;
    ­ the core members of the Division (with at minimum, the name of the Chair), and;
    ­ a web address for the Division, if it exists.
    b)
    The AAPPS Council must seek approval from no less than four member societies.
    c)
    Division formation is subject to approval by the AAPPS Council.
    d)
    The Division can also be terminated by the AAPPS Council.
  • 4. activities of divisions
    a)
    Divisions may organize sessions at the Asia Pacific Physics Conference (APPC) either solely or jointly with other Divisions.
    b)
    Each Division should report its activities at the AAPPS Council meeting, either in writing or in person.
    c)
    Each Division may organize its own meetings at any time.
    d)
    No financial obligations exist between Divisions and the AAPPS Council.
resolved at the 27th Council Meeting, Singapore, June 16, 2012
Code of Conduct of AAPPS
  • The Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) aims to promote the advancement of physics in the Asia Pacific region, including research, application and education, especially through international collaboration. We determine the following code of conduct to achieve our goal of sustainable development of physics in the region.

    1.
    AAPPS shall provide a friendly and fair environment for its members and contribute to the development of physics in the Asia Pacific region.
    2.
    The activities of AAPPS shall be planned and conducted with integrity, respect, fairness, trustworthiness, and transparency.
    3.
    The activities of AAPPS shall be free from discrimination based on such factors as ethnic origin, religion, citizenship, language, political or other opinion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
    4.
    AAPPS shall not serve any military purpose nor receive support from any military-related fund or organization including in-kind contribution.
Adopted at the 50th council meeting of AAPPS on August 21, 2022.
Bylaws of the Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship, and Endorsement of Activities by AAPPS
  • Article 1 (Purpose)

    These articles determine principles and procedures related to the sponsorship, co-sponsorship, and endorsement of activities such as international conferences, workshops, and schools (hereafter referred to as an activity collectively) by The Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (hereafter referred to as the Association).

  • Article 2 (Definitions)
    (1)
    "Sponsorship" refers to the Association holding an activity and being responsible for it.
    (2)
    "Co-sponsorship" refers to more than one organizing body, including the Association or its Division, jointly holding an activity.
    (3)
    "Endorsement" refers to the Association approving the purpose of an activity held by a third party, and providing support for publicizing it to the members of the Association or its Divisions.
  • Article 3 (Criteria)

    In order to be sponsored, co-sponsored, or endorsed by the Association, an activity must satisfy the following criteria.

    (1)
    It must contribute to the promotion of physics in Asia-Pacific. In case it is held outside the region covered by the Association, members of the member societies of the Association must be treated on the same footing as the members of the main organizing body.
    (2)
    It must be organized in such a way to carry out and communicate scientific work with integrity, respect, fairness, trustworthiness, and transparency.
    (3)
    It must be free from discrimination based on such factors as ethnic origin, religion, citizenship, language, political or other opinion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
    (4)
    It must not receive financial support and/or in kind contribution from any military-related fund or organization, nor serve for any military purpose.
  • Article 4 (Financial responsibilities)
    (1)
    The Association shall bear all financial responsibilities for an activity that it sponsors, and all property of such activities shall belong to the Association.
    (2)
    The financial responsibilities and property of activities that the Association co-sponsors shall be set forth in a separate memorandum of understanding (MOU).
    (3)
    When sponsoring or co-sponsoring an activity, accounting shall be handled as stipulated in the Association's business plan.
    (4)
    The budget for sponsored and co-sponsored international conferences shall be included in the Association's annual budget for the following fiscal year(s).
    (5)
    The Association shall not take any financial responsibility to activities that the Association endorses.
  • Article 5 (Application and Decision)
    (1)
    Requests for the Association's sponsorship, co-sponsorship, or endorsement of an activity shall be made using the designated application form and submitted to the Association's secretary (hereinafter referred to as "secretary").
    (2)
    The Association's Council shall deliberate on and decide whether to approve a request for sponsorship, co-sponsorship, or endorsement based on the written request. Approval is made by the simple majority of the Council.
  • Article 6 (Administrative expenses)

    If the Association approves the request for sponsorship, co-sponsorship or endorsement, the sponsoring organization shall pay the Association the separately defined expenses as actual administrative expenses. (This fee is set to be free for the moment.)

  • Article 7 (How the name of the organization is to be written)

    If the Association sponsors, co-sponsors, or endorses an activity, the Association's name should appear appropriately as follows.

    (1)
    Sponsorship: Sponsored by the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS).
    (2)
    Co-sponsorship: Co-sponsored by the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS).
    (3)
    Endorsement: Endorsed by the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS), In cooperation with the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS), or Supported by the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS).
  • Article 8 (Application Due)
    (1)
    As a general rule, the sponsoring organization shall submit application for sponsorship/co-sponsorship at least 18 months before the activity is to be held.
    (2)
    Application for endorsement shall be submitted at least three weeks before the desired notification date.
  • Article 9 (Reporting obligation)

    The sponsoring organization shall submit a report on the activity to the secretary within 6 months after the event.