Declaration

The root of the East Asian Sociological Association (hereafter, EASA) traces back to the East Asian Sociologists Network
(hereafter, EASN). The EASN started in 2002 as a voluntary academic gathering of sociologists in East Asia who wished
not only to promote an international scholarly exchange but also to enhance mutual understanding through friendly
relationship. With mutual trust and friendship as its spiritual core, the EASN has enjoyed a tremendous success, serving
as a vehicle for all wishing to deepen further academic collaborations.

The EASA inheres its spiritual foundation from the EASN. Regardless of political and ideological diversities among its
members, the EASA will serve as an academic institution that will bind us to carry our academic exchange and
collaborations further into the future.

Article 1: Goal

The EASA is a non-profit, non-governmental, independent, scientific organization, with no religious, political, ideological
nor any other kind of affiliation. Its goal is to provide a space for academic exchange to develop scientific knowledge in
order to contribute to solving social problems, to improving the quality of life of peoples, and to encouraging cooperative
and productive relations among East Asians and beyond.

Article 2: Objectives

To achieve the above goal, the EASA holds congresses and meetings, facilitate research activities through research networks
and research initiatives, publish newsletters, scientific journals and book series, and promote other scientific activities.
The EASA also collaborate with other national, regional, and international sociological associations and academic organizations.

Article 3: Membership

The EASA has individual members.  Individual membership is open to scholars who contribute to the development of
sociological knowledge and understanding by carrying out sociological research, teaching sociology, working in sociological
posts, or having academic degrees and training in sociology.  Individual membership is also open to academics in other
disciplines, who take an interest in the activities of the EASA or its Research Networks.

Individual student membership is open to all university level students in sociology and related subjects (including PhD students).

Article 4: Governing Bodies

The governing bodies of the EASA are:

  • General Assembly
  • Executive Committee
  • Office of the EASA
  • Presidents & Vice-Presidents
  • Research Networks and Research Initiatives

Article 5: The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the ultimate decision-making body of the EASA. It consists of individual members in good standing. It meets during the Congress and has to be
organized at least once in every three years. The General Assembly is called by the President.

The General Assembly is held with the EASA members present in the General Assembly meeting. All decisions of the General
Assembly will be made by deliberation. The General Assembly may resort to the voting if necessary; under the voting, decision
will be made by majority vote of the voting.

The functions of the General Assembly are to:

  • discuss and formulate the general policy of the EASA;
  • discuss and approve reports by the Presidents and the Executive Committee;
  • discuss and approve changes to the Statutes and By-laws;
  • discuss and approve the Treasurer’s report;
  • take decision regarding the merger, absorption or dissolution of the EASA.
  • add if necessary new items to the agenda to be discussed by the General Assembly.

Article 6: The Executive Committee 

The Executive Committee is in charge of operating the EASA by planning and implementing its policies. The Executive
Committee convenes at least once in every three year during the Congress meeting.

The Executive Committee consists of the representatives of all Research Network. The period of service as a member of the
Executive Committee is six years in two terms, with one half of the Executive Committee members alternating every three years.
An exiting Executive Committee member will be qualified for holding candidacy for the Executive Committee member after one
term period of non-service in the Committee.

A quorum for any decision of the Executive Committee will be one half of the current members of the Committee including the
President. All decisions of the Executive Committee will be made by deliberation. The Executive Committee may resort to the
voting if necessary; under the voting, decision will be made by majority vote of the voting.

Under the Executive Committee, four Sub-Committees listed below are organized to facilitate the functioning of the Executive Committee and the EASA as a whole.

– Sub-Committees and functions:

– Journal publication:

  • publish EASA journal

– Congress & Research activities:

  • plan and organize joint research, book publication, etc.
  • plan and implement the congress meeting

– Liaison:

  • manage EASA’s external relations with other academic organizations by  looking to ways to promote EASA research activities

– Organizational Affairs:

  • propose and set the agenda for the General Assembly
  • oversee and direct the establishment of Research Networks
  • approve the creation of Research Networks and Research Initiatives
  • deal with all remaining issues.

Article 7: The Office of the EASA

The Office of the EASA is to help the President by implementing clerical work associated with EASA policies. The General Secretary
and the Treasurer constitute the EASA Office, with additional office personnel when necessary including Website Manger.
The physical location of the Office will be determined by the Executive Committee.

The President appoints the General Secretary. The Vice-Presidents are appointed as the Treasure.  They will serve for one term, three years.  Their service are to be reported to the Presidents

The functions of the General Secretary are:

  • work as a task-force for the Presidents
  • appoint Website Manager, who creates, maintains, and updates the EASA Website.

The functions of the Treasurer are:

– design budgetary plans for a three-year term of EASA activities.

  • keep annual budgetary record of the EASA

– device measures to secure financial resources for EASA activities

  • determine membership fees
  • design donation policy

Article 8: The Presidents and Vice-Presidents 

The Presidents shall be nominated and decided by the deliberation in the Executive Committee meeting. The Presidency consists
of three presidents, with no overlapping of countries of the origin.

The term of the Presidency is three years beginning at the General Assembly held at the EASA Conference every three years.
The period of service as the President is one term only.

In the event of the President’s absence, s/he is replaced by one of the Vice-Presidents.

The functions of the Presidents are to:

  • represent the EASA.
  • appoint and oversee the EASA Office:
    -with the advice of the Executive Committee, the Presidents appoint the General Secretary and the Treasurer.

Article 9: Research Networks and RN Presidents

Research Networks (hereafter, RNs) are networks of EASA members, each focusing on a specific field of sociological research,
and through which EASA pursues its main scientific activities.

All RN members should be EASA members in good standing. EASA members may be members of multiple Research Networks.

The establishment of a Research Network can be proposed by a minimum of 10 members from at least three different countries.
The proposal will be discussed and, if all conditions met, approved by the Executive Committee. The proposed research field must
not significantly overlap with that of already existing EASA Research Networks.

Each Research Network selects its own President, Vice-President and the Board members at the RN Business Meeting held during the EASA congress. The President, Vice-President and the Board of RN serve for a maximum period of two consecutive terms of six years.

The functions of the Research Network are:

  • send one representative member to the Executive Committee
  • promote international cooperation in the fields of sociology they represent within and outside the EASA.
  • prepare its own program for the EASA conferences
  • organize their own mid-term conferences if necessary
  • engage in other activities in accordance with the ESA objectives.
  • to discuss organizational and policy issues concerning the Research Networks,
  • make a proposal to and advice the Executive Committee through its own representative to the Executive Committee

The functions of the President of the Research Network are:

  • preside the RN Business Meeting during the EASA Conference
  • submit a report of activities over the preceding three years to be presented to the Business Meeting.
  • represent the RN in the Executive Committee.

Article 10: Research Initiative

EASA members may apply to organise a Research Initiative (RI). Research Initiatives are networks of EASA members constituted
to give attention to specific research fields or thematic issues not sufficiently addressed by existing Research Networks.

The application shall be sent to the General Secretary at the Office of the EASA at least two months before the start of the following
EASA congress.

Approval requires that a RI has a field of sociology not significantly overlapping that of the other RNs and a minimum of 5 persons
in good standing in the EASA, with one designated Coordinator and one Vice-Coordinator. A tentative approval is made by the Office of the EASA, and then followed by an official approval through deliberations
in Executive Committee meeting.

Once tentatively approved by the Office, Research Initiatives can organize sessions in the EASA conference.

Article 11: Statutes Guidelines

The activities of the EASA are ruled by its Statutes and By-Laws.

Changes to the Statutes may be proposed by:

  • 20% Executive Committee with a 2/3 majority;
  • 20% of the individual members of the EASA.

A proposal for a change to the Statutes must first be discussed in the Executive Committee meeting, and, upon approval through
deliberation, it will be forwarded to the General Assembly, where a change of the Statutes must be approved by a majority of the
General Assembly.

Addendum

Statutes were originally adopted at the Constituent Congress held in Wohan, China, Octover 28th-29th, 2017, where the EASA
was formally established.