The Alliance Charter联盟章程

Article I — Name and Status第一条 — 名称与地位

I.1 The network shall be known as the Belt and Road Climate, Environment and Sustainability Scholar Alliance (the "Alliance" or "BR-CESSA").本网络名为一带一路气候、环境与可持续发展学者联盟("联盟"或"BR-CESSA")。

I.2 The Alliance is an academic-led, non-governmental and non-profit network dedicated to scientific cooperation and human-capital development, and maintains academic independence.联盟为学术主导、非政府、非营利的合作网络,致力于科学合作与人才培养,并保持学术独立。

I.3 The Alliance is not a separate legal entity. It operates as a voluntary network of member institutions and scholars, with HKUST acting as its Host Institution, Secretariat and Fund Manager.联盟非独立法人,以成员机构与学者自愿组成的网络形式运作,由港科大担任发起单位、常设秘书处与基金管理方。

I.4 Where any activity requires a legal or financial undertaking, that undertaking is entered into by HKUST (or another member) in its own name.凡需作出法律或财务承诺的事项,由港科大(或其他成员)以自身名义签署。

Article II — Mission and Objectives第二条 — 宗旨与目标

II.1 The Alliance builds scientific bridges for a sustainable future across the Belt and Road regions.联盟为"一带一路"区域的可持续未来搭建科学桥梁。

II.2 It pursues four objectives: (a) advancing a healthier environment, resilience to climate change and sustainable development across the region; (b) scholar mobility and exchange; (c) cross-border capacity building; and (d) technological co-innovation in green and sustainability science.联盟追求四大目标:(a) 推动区域内更健康的环境、气候韧性与可持续发展;(b) 学者流动与交流;(c) 跨境能力建设;(d) 绿色与可持续科学的技术协同创新。

Article III — Permanent Secretariat第三条 — 常设秘书处

III.1 The Permanent Secretariat is hosted and managed by the Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), HKUST.常设秘书处由港科大环境及可持续发展学部(ENVR)设立并管理。

III.2 The Secretariat runs day-to-day operations; conducts first-pass membership review; administers the Collaboration Fund; operates the Mobility Desk and Talent Matching Database; keeps the membership register; and serves as secretariat to all governing bodies.秘书处负责日常运营、会员初审、合作基金管理、流动服务办与人才匹配数据库运作、会员名册保管,并为各治理机构提供秘书服务。

Article IV — Membership第四条 — 会员

IV.1 The Alliance has two tracks — Institutional Members and Scholar Members — who participate on a basis of equal standing.联盟设两条会员线——机构会员与学者会员,地位平等。

IV.2 Founding recognition. Founding Scholars and Founding Institutes are the launch cohort; the cohort closes at the Inaugural Summit (January 2027). Founding status is a permanent honour and does not, by itself, confer permanent governance privilege.创始荣誉。创始学者与创始机构为创始队列,于 2027 年 1 月成立大会截止。创始身份为永久荣誉,本身不赋予永久治理特权。

IV.3 Active tiers. Functional rights are held through term-based tiers: Council Member (core / governance), Charter Member (baseline) and Observer.活跃层级。实际权利按任期制层级运作:Council(核心/治理)、Charter(基础)、Observer(观察)。

IV.4 Accession. A party becomes a Charter Member by signing the Instrument of Accession to this Charter; the Secretariat registers the accession.加入。当事方通过签署本章程《加入书》成为 Charter 会员,由秘书处登记。

IV.5 Elevation to Council. An institution rises to Council Member by a bilateral MoU with HKUST and active participation; a scholar rises by a confirmed leadership role.升入 Council。机构经与港科大签署双边 MoU 并保持活跃升入;学者经担任经确认的领导角色升入。

IV.6 Review. All admissions, elevations and renewals are subject to Secretariat review and, for Council and Founding status, Steering Committee approval. Each institution holds one vote regardless of the number of scholars it nominates.审核。所有入会、升级与续期须经秘书处审核;Council 与创始身份须经指导委员会批准。每家机构仅一票,无论提名多少学者。

Article V — Governance第五条 — 治理

V.1 General Assembly — comprising all member institutions (one vote each), it adopts and amends this Charter, elects the Steering Committee, admits and may expel members, and meets annually.会员大会——由全体机构会员组成(每家一票),负责审议修订章程、选举指导委员会、接纳与除名,每年召开。

V.2 Steering Committee — 12–15 Council Members, chaired by HKUST with one Vice-Chair rotating among member institutions every two years. Members serve two-year terms, renewable once, with no more than two seats per institution.指导委员会——12–15 名 Council 成员,主席由港科大担任,另设一名在成员机构间每两年轮换的副主席。委员任期两年,可连任一届,每机构不超过两席。

V.3 Advisory Board — 8–10 distinguished experts appointed by the Steering Committee for renewable three-year terms, providing strategic counsel without an executive vote.顾问委员会——由指导委员会委任的 8–10 位知名专家组成,任期三年可续,提供战略咨询,无执行投票权。

V.4 Thematic Panels — Climate, Environment and Sustainability, open to all members, each led by a Convenor for a two-year term.学术专题组——气候、环境、可持续三组,向全体成员开放,各设召集人,任期两年。

V.5 Decision-making — a quorum is a majority of serving members; ordinary decisions are by simple majority (the Chair holding a casting vote); amendment of this Charter, expulsion of a member or dissolution require a two-thirds majority. Members recuse themselves from decisions involving their own institution.决策——法定人数为在任成员过半;一般决议简单多数通过(主席有决定票);修订章程、除名或解散须三分之二多数。成员对涉及本机构的决定须回避。

V.6 Interim arrangement — until the Steering Committee is constituted at the Inaugural Summit, an interim Founding Committee exercises its functions.过渡安排——在指导委员会于成立大会组建之前,由临时筹备委员会代行其职。

Article VI — Financial Framework第六条 — 财务框架

VI.1 The Alliance is funded through host-institution support, voluntary contributions and external research grants. Membership carries no mandatory fee.联盟经费来自发起单位支持、自愿贡献与外部研究资助;会员无强制会费。

VI.2 The Belt and Road International Collaboration Fund is administered by HKUST as Fund Manager. Funds are dedicated to research and scholar mobility; awards are made to project teams involving at least two member institutions from different regions."一带一路"国际合作基金由港科大作为基金管理方运作;资金专用于研究与学者流动,拨予至少由两家来自不同地区的成员机构组成的项目团队。

Article VII — Nature of Commitment & Legal Effect第七条 — 承诺性质与法律效力

VII.1 This Charter is a statement of shared intent and common purpose. It is not legally binding and creates no financial obligation on any member.本章程为共同意愿与宗旨的声明,不具法律约束力,不对任何成员构成财务义务。

VII.2 Cooperation with legal or financial substance — data sharing, the Collaboration Fund, mobility arrangements and intellectual property — is governed by a separate bilateral Memorandum of Understanding with HKUST.涉及法律或财务实质的合作——数据共享、合作基金、流动安排与知识产权——由与港科大的双边合作备忘录(MoU)另行约定。

Article VIII — Accession, Renewal & Withdrawal第八条 — 加入、续期与退出

VIII.1 A member accedes by signing the Instrument of Accession; the Secretariat registers and announces the membership.成员通过签署《加入书》加入,由秘书处登记并公布。

VIII.2 Council status is reviewed every two years and Charter status annually, on active contribution. Members who lapse move down one tier (Council → Charter → Observer) after due notice.Council 身份每两年、Charter 身份每年依活跃贡献复核;不活跃者经通知后下调一级(Council → Charter → Observer)。

VIII.3 Any member may withdraw at any time by written notice to the Secretariat; any Founding honour is retained.成员可随时以书面通知秘书处退出;创始荣誉(如有)予以保留。

Article IX — Amendment and Commencement第九条 — 修订与生效

IX.1 This Charter may be amended by the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority, on the recommendation of the Steering Committee.本章程经指导委员会提议,由会员大会三分之二多数通过修订。

IX.2 This Charter takes effect upon adoption at the Inaugural Summit (January 2027) and is reviewed periodically by the Steering Committee.本章程于 2027 年 1 月成立大会通过后生效,由指导委员会定期检讨。