Chapter 1. About USS

Article 1. The United Societies of Science (Abbr.: USS, from now on referred to as USS) is a cross-border community for scientists and researchers with openness, equality and inclusion. It was established in 2023, and registered in Hong Kong. USS is a borderless, non-profit, non-governmental organization and its place of registration can be changed due to development needs.

Article 2. For USS, "science" mainly refers to science, technology, engineering, medicine, management, and social sciences. USS believes that humanities and arts also belong to the category of "science" and are of great significance to human development. Due to the USS's capabilities, the USS did not cover pure humanities and arts-related disciplines when it was born, except for interdisciplinary subjects. This does not imply that the USS will not cover humanities and arts disciplines in the future.

Article 3. The official website is: https://www.usssociety.org.

Chapter 2. Missions & Vision

Article 4. Promote the integrated development of global scientific research and human well-being by facilitating the exchange and sharing of knowledge and cross-border collaboration.

Article 5.Openness

• 1) Legal entities and unincorporated organizations (universities, enterprises, research institutes, laboratories, associations, societies, councils, and committees, etc.) and individuals in any industry and academia in any country and region are free to join and withdraw from USS.
• 2) Provided that it is conducive to the advancement and dissemination of science, USS is open to cooperation with any entity or individual from any country or region.

Article 6.Equality

• 1) All members have equal rights to participate in community activities and vote.
• 2) Oppose academic bullying between people, institutions, and countries, and resist the academic clique system.
• 3) Encourage scholars and institutions in developed countries to support scientific research development in less developed regions.
• 4) Encourage scholars in less developed regions to have more opportunities to express and learn.

Article 7.Inclusion

• 1) Oppose discrimination and hatred, and encourage exchanges and cooperation under the condition of mutual respect.
• 2) Diverse academic perspectives are encouraged, and debates are welcome. Slander and attacks are strictly prohibited.
• 3) Encourage underdeveloped scientific research countries/territories to actively participate in USS activities, and encourage developed scientific research countries/territories to provide support and assistance to underdeveloped countries/territories.

Chapter 3. Service Scope

Article 8.USS service scope

• 1) Organize global or regional academic activities;
• 2) Build electronic libraries and knowledge bases, and provide knowledge services;
• 3) Organize the dissemination and transformation of scientific research achievements;
• 4) Develop standards, guidelines, and specifications to promote the advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge;
• 5) To provide sponsorship, including technology, financial, and logistical support, to researchers for organizing academic conferences;
• 6) To provide sponsorship, including IT technology, financial, and logistical support, to researchers for launching journals;
• 7) To facilitate the establishment of scientific societies and councils under USS;
• 8) To provide free IT support and website hosting to academic societies, associations, councils, and committees, equipping them with all essential modules and functions for organizing activities, such as membership management, conference management, subscription services, journal website hosting, and knowledge base archives.
• 9) To establish awards, organize prize evaluation committees, and conduct the award selection.

Chapter 4. Membership

Article 9. Any academic and industrial groups or individuals engaged in discipline research in any country or regions that are willing to abide by the USS Charter may join the USS.

Article 10. Members include individual members, institution members, and society members.

• 1) Individual members are divided into several levels, namely: student members, professional members, senior members, outstanding members, and fellows. Qualified members may be awarded the title of life member. Non-USS members who have made significant contributions to USS may be awarded the title of honorary member.
• 2) Institutional members include universities, governments, enterprises, and both legal and non-legal research institutions.
• 3) Society members include legal societies and associations, non-legal councils, organizing committees, professional committees, etc.

Article 11. Applicants for membership in USS must meet the following conditions:

• 1) Support the USS Charter;
• 2) Have the intention to join USS;
• 3) Have good credibility and reputation;
• 4) Committed to the development and exchange of scientific research;
• 5) Pay membership fees on time.

Article 12. USS members have the following rights:

• 1) The right to elect, be elected, and vote in USS (except for student members and honorary members);
• 2) To apply to be the organizer of USS-sponsored conferences, apply for conference co-sponsorship with USS, or apply for IT, equipment, and management support from USS for conference organizations;
• 3) Society members can use USS’s society management system free of charge and can host society websites with USS’s support.
• 4) The members of society member have a discount for membership fee;
• 5) The institutional member or society member have the right to recommend candidate for the member (or standing member) of board of director, vice president and president;
• 6) The institutional member or society member have the right to apply for the right to host the global or reginal conference sponsored by USS;
• 7) The institutional member or society member have the right to apply for the financial or technical co-sponsorship of the USS;
• 8) The member can apply to host his/her/their conference on the USS conference platform with conference management system;
• 9) The member can apply for launching a new journal under the USS brand;
• 10) The member can apply to get financial or technical sponsorship for his/her/their journals;
• 11) to apply for hosting his/her/their journal on the USS publishing platform with publishing system;
• 12) To access USS Digital Library;
• 13) To participate in USS activities with priority;
• 14) To have priority in USS services;
• 15) To have the right to criticize, make suggestions, and supervise USS work;
• 16) To join the USS voluntarily and to withdraw from USS freely.

Article 13. Members shall perform the following obligations:

• 1) abide by the constitution of USS and implement the resolutions of USS;
• 2) pay membership fees as required;
• 3) actively promote and participate in various activities of USS;
• 4) develop members for USS;
• 5) contribute to the development of USS;
• 6) submit communication information that can be contacted in time to the society, and notify USS in time when the contact information changes.

Article 14. Members shall formally notify USS of their withdrawal from the association. If a member fails to pay their membership dues for three consecutive months, they shall be deemed to have automatically withdrawn from the association.

Article 15. If a member seriously violates this constitution, he/she shall be expelled upon approval by the Board of Directors or the Executive Board of Directors.

Chapter 5. Organizational Governance

Article 16. USS is committed to establishing a transparent and sound management system step by step. USS consists of a member representative assembly, a board of directors, a secretariat, a discipline board of directors, a regional board of directors, professional committees, working committees, etc.

Article 17. The Secretariat is the permanent working body of the USS, headed by the Secretary-General. The Secretariat is responsible for the daily operations of the USS and is guided and supervised by the Board of Directors.

Article 18. The Board of Directors is the daily decision-making body of USS. The directors, executive directors, vice presidents, and president are elected by the USS members' representative assembly. The vice president and president candidates in the election of directors require the recommendation of 20 individual members or 5 institutional or society members, while the member and executive director candidates in the election of the directors require the recommendation of 10 individual members or 2 institutional or society members.

Article 19. The founder is the permanent honorary chairman of the board of directors.

Chapter 6. Member Representative Assembly

Article 20. The highest authority of the USS is the Members' Representative Assembly. The authorities of the Members' Representative Assembly are:

• 1) Formulate and amend the Article s of Association, the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors election procedures, and the Board of Supervisors procedures;
• 2) Elect and remove the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Directors, Chief Supervisor and Supervisors;
• 3) Formulate the working principles and tasks of USS;
• 4) Formulate and amend the membership fee standards;
• 5) Review the work report and financial report of the Board of Directors;
• 6) Review the work report of the Board of Supervisors;
• 7) Evaluate the work of the USS Board of Directors, the Executive Board of Directors, the Chairman, and the Secretary-General;
• 8) Decide on other important matters.

Article 21. The Member Representative Conference can only be convened if more than 2/3 of the member representatives are present. Its resolutions can only take effect if more than half of the member representatives’ present vote in favor of it. Major proposals such as amending the Article s of Association and deciding on the termination of USS, will only take effect if more than 2/3 of the member representatives vote in favor of it.

Article 22. The Member Representative Conference is held every 5 years. If the term of office needs to be advanced or postponed due to special circumstances, it must be voted on and approved by the Board of Directors. The maximum extension period is no more than 1 year.

Chapter 7. Board of Directors, Board of Supervisors and Secretariat

Article 23. The Board of Directors is the executive body of the Member Representative Conference. It leads USS to carry out work during the adjournment of the Member Representative Conference and is responsible to the Member Representative Conference.

Article 24. The powers of the Board of Directors are:
Part I:

• 1) Prepare for the convening of the Members' Representative Conference;
• 2) Implement the resolutions of the Members' Representative Conference;
• 3) Elect and remove executive directors, and appoint and dismiss the Secretary-General;
• 4) Decide on the admission and removal of members;
• 5) Decide on the establishment, change, and termination of offices, branches, representative offices, and physical institutions;
• 6) Lead the work of USS institutions;
• 7) Review the work plan, financial budget, and financial statements;

Part II:

• 8) Decide on the appointment of the Deputy Secretary-General, Treasurer, and the main persons in charge of each institution;
• 9) Report work plans financial budgets and financial statements to the Members' Representative Conference;
• 10) Formulate internal management systems;
• 11) Decide on the establishment and selection of honorary positions;
• 12) Decide on other important matters.

Article 25. The Board of Directors shall be convened only if more than 2/3 of the directors are present, and its resolutions shall take effect only if more than 2/3 of the directors’ present vote through.

Article 26. The Board of Directors shall hold at least one meeting each year, which may be held in a combination of online and offline methods.

Article 27. USS establishes a Standing Board of Directors. The Standing Board of Directors shall be elected by the Board of Directors, with a number not exceeding 1/3 of the number of directors, and shall exercise the first part of the powers of the Board of Directors during the adjournment period of the Board of Directors.

Article 28. The Standing Board of Directors shall be convened only if more than 2/3 of the Standing Board of Directors are present, and its resolutions shall take effect only if more than 2/3 of the Standing Board of Directors present vote through.

Article 29. The Standing Board of Directors shall hold at least one meeting every 12 months, which may be held in a combination of online and offline methods.

Article 30. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary General of USS shall meet the following conditions:

• 1) The Chairman and Vice Chairman shall have made great contributions and have a high reputation in their respective fields; the Secretary-General shall have leadership, operational capabilities, and management experience;
• 2) The maximum age of the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall not exceed 70 years old;
• 3) The Secretary-General shall be full-time and shall not be older than 60 years old when in office;
• 4) They should be in good health and able to maintain normal work;
• 5) They should have a good reputation;
• 6) They should have full capacity for civil conduct.

Article 31. The term of office of the President and Vice President of the USS is 2 years and they can be re-elected for one term. The Secretary-General appointed by USS is not subject to term limits. If the term of office needs to be extended due to special circumstances, it must be approved by more than 2/3 of the member representatives at the Member Representative Conference before taking office.

Article 32. The President shall not concurrently serve as the President (Chairman) of other societies or associations, and the number of Vice Presidents (Vice Chairman) of other societies or associations shall not exceed one. The number of Vice Presidents (Chairman) of other associations concurrently serving as the President and Vice President (Chairman) of other associations shall not exceed two.

Article 33. The President of USS shall exercise the following powers:

• 1) Convene and preside over the Council and the Executive Council;
• 2) Check the implementation of the resolutions of the Member Representative Assembly, the Council, and the Executive Council;
• 3) Handle other important matters authorized by the Member Representative Assembly, the Council, and the Executive Council.

Article 34. The Secretary General of USS shall exercise the following powers:

• 1) To preside over the daily work of the office and organize the implementation of the annual work plan;
• 2) To coordinate the work of the affiliated institutions or societies;
• 3) To nominate the Deputy Secretary General and the principals of the affiliated institutions, and submit them to the Council or the Executive Council for decision;
• 4) To decide on the employment of full-time staff of the affiliated institutions;
• 5) To handle other daily affairs.

Article 35. The USS shall have a treasurer who shall, on behalf of the Board of Directors, independently supervise the formulation and implementation of the USS budget, monitor the daily income and expenditure of the Society, and check the financial reports of USS. The treasurer shall be appointed by the Board of Directors or the Standing Committee of the Council and shall be accountable to the Board of Directors and the Member Representative Assembly.

Article 36. The USS establishes a board of supervisors. The term of office of the supervisors is the same as that of the directors. They can be re-elected upon expiration of their terms and their age shall not exceed 70 years old. The board of supervisors shall consist of 3-5 supervisors, and the number of supervisors retained during the term of office shall not exceed 2/3 of all supervisors of the previous term. The board of supervisors shall have one chief supervisor, who shall be elected by the member representative assembly. The term of office is limited to one term.

Article 37. Election and removal of supervisors:

• 1) Elected by the Member Representative Assembly;
• 2) Supervisors shall be removed following the procedures for their election.

Article 38. The president of the USS, executive director, director, financial manager (and treasurer), branch director and full-time staff of the USS Secretariat shall not concurrently serve as supervisors.

Article 39. The Board of Supervisors shall exercise the following powers:

• 1) Attend meetings of the Board of Directors and the Standing Board of Directors and raise questions or suggestions on resolutions;
• 2) Supervise the performance of duties of the President, the Standing Director and the Directors in the USS and propose removal proposals for persons who seriously violate the USS’s or resolutions of the Member Representative Assembly;
• 3) Report the work of the Board of Supervisors to the Member Representative Assembly and propose proposals;
• 4) Require the President, the Vice President, the Standing Director, and the Director to correct any behavior that damages the interests of the Association promptly;
• 5) Decide on other matters that should be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors.

Article 40. The Board of Supervisors shall hold a meeting at least once every 12 months. The meeting of the Board of Supervisors shall be held only if more than 2/3 of the supervisors are present, and its resolution shall be valid only if unanimously agreed by the supervisors present.

Article 41. Supervisors shall abide by relevant laws and regulations and the Article s of Association of the Association, and perform their duties faithfully and diligently.

Article 42. The Board of Supervisors may investigate the activities of the Association; if necessary, it may hire accounting firms to assist in its work. The expenses necessary for the Board of Supervisors to exercise its powers shall be borne by USS.

Chapter 8. Governance of Subsidiary

Article 43. Application by more than 20 individual members, or 5 institutional members or society members, and approval by the board of directors, professional council, regional council, or societies and branches can be established. The subsidiaries are governed by similar provisions of the USS Constitution, and may have secretariats, boards of directors, and executive committees.

Article 44. The maximum age of the person in charge of a branch shall not exceed 70 years old.

Article 45. The finances of the branch shall be included in the unified management of the USS statutory account, and all income and expenditure shall be included in the unified financial accounting of USS.

Article 46. The annual work report of USS shall include the relevant information of the branch and representative office. The annual report shall be open to members and subject to member supervision.

Chapter 9. Finance Management

Article 47. USS's income includes membership fees, conference income, donations, and other income, and it implements a transparent financial management policy.

Article 48. USS's finances are managed by the Finance Committee, which is responsible for supervising the Secretariat to manage its finances following the financial system and conducting annual financial audits. The USS Finance Committee is committed to maintaining financial transparency, ensuring the financial well-being of USS, and preventing corruption.

Chapter 10. Other

Article 49. USS is a developing organization, and its charter will be continuously improved and updated to align with the development of society. Any amendment to the charter must be approved by more than two-thirds of the directors.

Version Info

Current version	1.0
Drafted by	Shaoxiong (Sam) WANG (The USS founder)
Release date	September 28, 2024