Governance Document

Institute Charter

The founding charter of Panorama Research Institute, establishing its institutional status, governance framework, research mission, and operational procedures.

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Contents

Art. 1. Name Art. 2. Institutional Status Art. 3. Institutional Affiliation Art. 4. Mission Art. 5. Scope of Activities Art. 6. Research Areas Art. 7. Organizational Structure Art. 8. Governance Art. 9. Research Centers Art. 10. Research Projects Art. 11. Publications Art. 12. Academic Events Art. 13. Scholars and Fellows Art. 14. Collaboration Art. 15. Research Ethics Art. 16. Conflict of Interest Art. 17. Intellectual Property Art. 18. Use of Name and Logo Art. 19. Finance and Administration Art. 20. Amendment and Interpretation

Governance Document

Institute Charter

Version 1.2 - Effective 2026-10-10

Revision 1.2 updates the list of Research Centers, adds the categories of scholarly affiliation and coordinator roles now in use, recognizes journal articles and the Membership Program, clarifies copyright, internal documents, and protection periods, adds provisions on appointments, impartial handling of misconduct, conflicts of interest, personal information, generative AI, language versions, public archiving of superseded versions, and institutional continuity, and aligns the amendment procedure and subsidiary governance documents with this Charter. The amendment procedure in Article 20 continues to apply.

Version history

Article 1

Name

The official name of the Institute is Panorama Research Institute, abbreviated as PRI and referred to in this Charter as the Institute.

The Institute may be referred to as "Panorama Research Institute", "PRI", or "the Institute" in official documents, publications, and communications. No other abbreviated form is authorized for use in formal contexts.

Article 2

Institutional Status

The Institute is a research institute established by Panorama Scholarly Group (PSG, also referred to in this Charter as the Group). The Group is the Institute's parent organization and the legal and administrative entity through which the Institute operates. The Institute is not a separate legal entity.

The Institute shall maintain its own academic governance, research programs, research centers, scholarly appointments, publications, and institutional identity in accordance with this Charter. It shall exercise independent academic judgment in research activities, publication decisions, editorial judgments, and other scholarly functions within the Group's overall governance, legal, and administrative framework. Academic independence shall not confer separate legal personality or independent financial authority on the Institute.

Contracts, legally binding agreements, and other formal legal instruments relating to Institute activities shall identify the Group as the legal party and shall be executed by its authorized representatives. Such instruments may identify the Institute as the organization carrying out the research or scholarly activities. The Institute shall not be registered as a separate legal entity or maintain financial accounts separate from the Group.

Article 3

Institutional Affiliation

The Group is the Institute's establishing and parent organization and its legal and administrative entity. Official descriptions of the Institute's status, governance relationship, or legal capacity shall state that the Institute was established by the Group, maintains its own academic governance and institutional identity, operates within the Group's legal and administrative framework, and is not a separate legal entity.

Scholars holding an authorized academic affiliation with the Institute may use "Panorama Research Institute" as their institutional affiliation in scholarly outputs and profiles. Such affiliation shall not, of itself, establish an employment relationship, authorize the scholar to bind the Group, or confer separate legal personality on the Institute. Where legal or contractual capacity is relevant, the Group shall be identified as the legal party and the Institute's lack of separate legal personality shall be expressly stated.

The Institute may propose, negotiate, and coordinate academic cooperation arrangements, memoranda of understanding, and collaboration proposals under its institutional name. Any instrument requiring formal execution or creating legal or financial obligations shall identify the Group as the legal party and shall be signed by a representative authorized by the Group. Use of the Institute's name shall not, of itself, confer authority to execute such instruments.

Article 4

Mission

The mission of Panorama Research Institute is to advance scholarly knowledge through rigorous, independent, and interdisciplinary research; to support the development of global scholarly communication infrastructure; and to promote openness, transparency, and integrity in academic publishing and research practice.

In pursuing this mission, the Institute commits to the highest standards of academic quality, research ethics, and institutional governance. It supports scholars at all career stages, fosters collaboration across disciplines and institutions, and ensures that its outputs are publicly accessible and grounded in sound scholarly practice.

Article 5

Scope of Activities

The Institute conducts and supports the following categories of activity:

—Interdisciplinary research across its designated research areas, conducted through research centers and projects

—Establishment, development, and management of research centers within the Institute's research areas

—Initiation, management, and support of research projects affiliated with the Institute's research centers

—Publication of research reports, working papers, policy briefs, edited volumes, guidelines, and annual reports, and sponsorship and support of journal articles

—Organization and co-organization of academic conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programs

—Management of scholar and fellowship programs, including Research Fellows, Associate Research Fellows, Young Research Fellows, Part-time Research Fellows, Distinguished Research Fellows, Visiting Scholars, Research Assistants, and Undergraduate Research Interns

—Institutional collaboration and research partnership activities with universities, research institutions, publishers, and scholarly organizations

—Development of open scholarly infrastructure, including databases, evaluation frameworks, and metadata systems

—Policy analysis and advisory activities relevant to the Institute's research areas

—Capacity-building activities for researchers, journal editors, and scholarly practitioners

—Operation of a Membership Program providing scholarly network and resource services

Article 6

Research Areas

The Institute designates the following research areas within which its research centers, projects, publications, and events are organized. Research areas may be expanded or revised through a formal amendment to this Charter in accordance with Article 20.

Scholarly Publishing Studies

Research on open access models, peer review systems, publication ethics, editorial standards, research integrity, and the structures and practices of academic publishing.

Scholarly Indexing and Evaluation

Research on journal indexing systems, citation metrics, journal quality frameworks, database governance and transparency, and open scholarly infrastructure for evaluation.

III

Policy and Social Research

Research on higher education policy, science and innovation governance, social governance, digital governance, and the policy dimensions of scholarly communication.

AI and Future Society

Research on artificial intelligence governance, AI ethics, human-AI interaction, the implications of AI for scholarly communication and knowledge production, and digital futures.

Education and Learning Research

Research on education systems, pedagogical practice, learning science, educational policy, and the role of technology in learning environments.

Arts, Culture and Embodiment

Research on artistic practice, cultural studies, embodied cognition, creative inquiry, and the intersections of arts and humanities with academic and social inquiry.

VII

Health and Medical Research

Research on mental health, psychiatry, public health, and clinical research, examining medicine and well-being as fields of scholarly inquiry and public relevance.

Article 7

Organizational Structure

The Institute comprises the following organizational units. Each unit is responsible for a defined domain of institutional activity and reports to the Institute Director.

Institute Office

Responsible for overall administration, governance compliance, internal coordination, external communications, and the maintenance of official records. Headed by the Institute Director.

Research Centers

The primary academic units of the Institute. Each center has a defined thematic mandate, a Director, and a program of research projects, publications, and events. Currently active centers are listed in Article 9.

Project Teams

Responsible for carrying out approved research projects, coordinating project contributors, maintaining project documentation, and reporting project progress to the relevant Research Center Director.

Publications Unit

Responsible for the editorial management, production, and open access dissemination of all Institute publications, including research reports, working papers, policy briefs, edited volumes, and the annual report, and for administering the Institute's sponsorship of journal articles.

Academic Events Unit

Responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering the Institute's program of conferences, seminars, workshops, training programs, and calls for papers and chapters.

Scholar and Fellowship Program

Responsible for recruiting, onboarding, and supporting Research Fellows, Associate Research Fellows, Young Research Fellows, Part-time Research Fellows, Visiting Scholars, Research Assistants, and Undergraduate Research Interns, and for maintaining the Institute's scholar community.

Collaboration Office

Responsible for managing the Institute's external partnerships, institutional cooperation agreements, research project proposals, edited volume proposals, and event co-organization inquiries.

Research Ethics and Standards Office

Responsible for research ethics review coordination, integrity guidance, conflict-of-interest disclosure management, and the maintenance of research standards across Institute activities.

Article 8

Governance

The Institute shall be governed through the structure set out in this Article. Its governance bodies shall exercise their respective functions in accordance with this Charter and the Group's overall governance framework.

Institute Director

The Director is the head of the Institute and is responsible for its overall academic direction, governance compliance, external representation, and institutional development. The Director is appointed by Panorama Scholarly Group.

Research Center Directors

Each Research Center is directed by a Research Center Director responsible for the Center's research program, fellow management, and scholarly activities. Center Directors are appointed by the Institute Director.

Coordinators

The Institute Director may appoint coordinators to manage the Institute's operational activities, including a Director of Research / Research Centers Coordination, a Publications Coordinator, an Events Coordinator, a Scholar Program Coordinator, and a Collaboration Coordinator. Coordinators act under the direction of the Institute Director and hold no independent governance authority.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is an independent consultative body comprising distinguished scholars and practitioners. It advises on research priorities, academic standards, and institutional development. It has no executive authority.

Panorama Scholarly Group

As the parent organization and legal and administrative entity, PSG holds ultimate institutional governance authority, approves the Charter and material amendments, administers Institute finances, and executes formal legal instruments through authorized representatives. PRI's academic bodies retain independent academic judgment in accordance with this Charter.

Article 9

Research Centers

Research Centers are the primary academic units within the Institute. Each Center is established within one or more of the Institute's designated research areas and is responsible for developing and managing research projects, producing publications, organizing events, and building scholarly networks within its domain. Each Center is headed by a Director and staffed by affiliated Research Fellows and other scholars.

New Research Centers may be established by the Institute Director with the approval of Panorama Scholarly Group, provided the proposed Center falls within a designated research area. The establishment, modification, or closure of a Research Center does not require an amendment to this Charter unless the change involves a modification to Article 6.

Currently Established Research Centers

01Center for Scholarly Publishing Studies

Active

02Center for Scholarly Indexing and Evaluation

Active

03Center for Policy and Social Research

Active

04Center for AI and Future Society

Upcoming

05Center for Arts, Culture and Embodiment

Active

06Center for Health and Medical Research

Active

Article 10

Research Projects

Research Projects are formal, Institute-sanctioned research initiatives affiliated with one or more Research Centers. Each project has a defined scope, research questions, methodology, timeline, and expected outputs. Projects are initiated through a formal proposal process reviewed by the relevant Research Center Director and approved by the Institute Director.

Projects may be led by affiliated Research Fellows, visiting scholars, or external researchers, provided their work meets the Institute's standards for research quality and ethics. All research conducted under the Institute's name must be consistent with the values, policies, and ethical standards established by this Charter.

The Institute maintains a public record of all active and completed research projects on its website. Project status changes — including initiation, suspension, and completion — are managed by the relevant Research Center Director with notification to the Institute Office.

Article 11

Publications

The Institute publishes the following categories of publication. All publications are subject to editorial review, quality control, and compliance with the Institute's publication ethics policy before release.

Research Reports

Full-length reports presenting substantial original findings from Institute research projects. Subject to internal review and external peer review.

Working Papers

Shorter documents presenting preliminary findings, theoretical frameworks, or scholarly arguments. Subject to internal editorial review.

Policy Briefs

Concise, evidence-based documents presenting policy-relevant findings and recommendations. Subject to internal editorial review.

Edited Volumes

Collaborative academic volumes bringing together original contributions from multiple scholars on a defined research theme. Published in association with partner academic publishers.

Annual Reports

Yearly institutional reports covering the Institute's research activity, publications, events, scholar program, and governance disclosures.

Conference Proceedings

Records and proceedings of academic events organized or co-organized by the Institute, where applicable.

Journal Articles

Articles published in scholarly journals, including journals published by Panorama Scholarly Group, that are supported by Institute sponsorship or authored by Institute members. Each sponsorship is recorded by a sponsorship number and disclosed in the article, and does not influence the article's editorial or peer review outcome. Journal articles are subject to the editorial and peer review procedures of the journal concerned and are listed on the Institute's website. Decisions on sponsorship are made by the Institute Director, or by a coordinator designated by the Director, within the budget allocated by the Group, and are subject to the conflict of interest provisions of Article 16.

Guidelines and Standards

Practical standards and guidance documents developed from Institute research for use by journals, publishers, and academic institutions.

All Institute publications, other than journal articles, are published under open access terms and are freely available on the Institute's website. Each such publication receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registered with Crossref. Copyright in Institute publications is governed by Article 17. Open access, licensing, and DOI arrangements for journal articles are governed by the journal concerned. Publications subject to a Protection Period under Article 17 are made public when that period ends.

Article 12

Academic Events

The Institute organizes and co-organizes academic events to advance scholarly exchange in its research areas and to support its research community. Events include international conferences, academic seminars, research workshops, training programs, and related academic gatherings.

Events may be organized independently by the Institute or co-organized with partner institutions. Co-organized events must be approved by the Institute Director and must comply with the Institute's academic standards, ethical requirements, and branding guidelines. All co-organized events must not compromise the academic independence of the Institute's research or the integrity of its scholarly community.

The Academic Events Unit is responsible for administering calls for papers, managing event logistics, coordinating speakers and participants, and producing event records and proceedings where applicable.

Article 13

Scholars and Fellows

The Institute maintains a community of affiliated scholars through the following formal categories of affiliation. Each category carries defined responsibilities and entitlements. Affiliation does not constitute employment by Panorama Research Institute or Panorama Scholarly Group unless separately specified.

Research Fellow

An established researcher (typically holding a doctoral degree or equivalent) who makes a formal commitment to contribute to the Institute's research program through original publications, participation in events, and engagement with the Institute's scholarly community. Appointment is for one to three years, renewable.

Associate Research Fellow

An early-career researcher or doctoral student who contributes to Institute research projects and activities. Typically appointed for one year, renewable upon satisfactory contribution. Associate Fellows may be considered for promotion to Research Fellow.

Young Research Fellow

A postdoctoral or early-career researcher, typically within five years of completing a doctorate, who has established an independent research direction. The category sits between Associate Research Fellow and Research Fellow. Typically appointed for one to two years, renewable. Sustained contribution may be considered for promotion to Research Fellow.

Part-time Research Fellow

A researcher or practitioner who holds a primary position elsewhere and maintains a lighter-commitment affiliation with the Institute, contributing to Institute projects and publications on a reduced or project-based schedule. Typically appointed for one year, renewable. Terms of contribution are agreed with the relevant Research Center at the time of appointment.

Distinguished Research Fellow

An honorary title conferred on senior scholars of exceptional academic standing. Appointed by invitation of the Institute's leadership rather than through open application, typically for two to three years, renewable.

Visiting Scholar

An established researcher who affiliates with the Institute for a defined period (typically three to twelve months) to pursue research in collaboration with the Institute's scholars. Visiting scholars may be resident or remote.

Undergraduate Research Intern

A currently enrolled undergraduate student who supports Research Fellows and Research Center Directors with tasks such as literature review, data collection, and editorial assistance. Engaged for one semester or on a project basis, renewable.

Research Assistant

A postgraduate student or early-career researcher engaged on a project-specific basis to support research tasks under the supervision of a Research Fellow or Research Center Director.

All affiliated scholars are required to adhere to the Institute's research ethics policy, conflict of interest policy, and other governance documents. The Scholar and Fellowship Program is administered by the Scholar Program Coordinator under the oversight of the Institute Director. The Institute may also invite scholars, practitioners, and experts to contribute to specific projects, publications, or events as project contributors. Project contributors hold no formal affiliation, and their contributions are acknowledged in the relevant project and publication records.

Appointments to the categories of affiliation in this Article shall be made in writing by the Institute Director, or by a person designated by the Director, stating the category, the term, and any conditions of the appointment. An appointment ends on expiry of its term unless renewed, on resignation by written notice, or on termination by the Institute Director for cause, including a material violation of Articles 15 to 18. Before an appointment is terminated for cause, the person concerned shall be notified in writing of the grounds and given a reasonable opportunity, of not less than 14 days, to respond, and may request a review by the Group within 14 days of the decision, which the Group shall complete within 30 days. Where an allegation of serious misconduct is pending, the Institute Director may suspend an appointment without prejudice for the duration of the investigation. Upon the end of an appointment, the person's authority to use the Institute's name ends as provided in Article 18.

Article 14

Collaboration

The Institute engages in academic collaboration with universities, research institutes, publishers, scholarly associations, and other organizations. Collaboration activities must be consistent with the Institute's mission, research areas, and values, and must not compromise the academic independence of the Institute's research or the integrity of its scholars.

Formal cooperation agreements relating to Institute activities shall identify the Group as the legal party and shall be executed by its authorized representatives. The Institute shall coordinate the relevant scholarly activities without acquiring separate legal personality. The Collaboration Office shall manage cooperation inquiries, proposals, and continuing partnership arrangements.

—Institutional cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding

—Joint research projects and collaborative publications

—Co-edited academic volumes and co-organized special journal issues

—Co-organized academic conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programs

—Scholar and visiting researcher exchange programs

—Joint capacity-building and training initiatives

Formal cooperation agreements relating to PRI activities must identify PSG as the legal party and be executed by its authorized representatives. PRI is the research institute coordinating the academic activities and is not a separate legal entity. The Collaboration Office manages collaboration inquiries, proposals, and ongoing partnership arrangements.

Article 15

Research Ethics

The Institute is committed to the highest standards of research ethics. All research conducted under the Institute's auspices must comply with applicable ethical principles, including respect for persons, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and transparency.

The following principles constitute the Institute's minimum ethical standards. They are elaborated in the Institute's Research Ethics Policy, which is adopted as a subsidiary governance document to this Charter.

—Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical review requirements and must obtain informed consent where required.

—Research data must be collected, managed, retained, and shared in accordance with the Institute's Data and Documentation Policy.

—Research findings must be reported honestly, accurately, and without selective omission of material evidence.

—Research methods and limitations must be disclosed transparently in all publications.

—Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism are prohibited and constitute grounds for termination of affiliation in accordance with Article 13, with suspension of the appointment pending investigation where warranted, and for retraction of affected publications.

—Authors must accurately represent their contributions to any published work and must not include persons as authors who have not contributed substantively.

The use of generative artificial intelligence tools in research or in the preparation of publications issued under the Institute's name or supported by it shall be disclosed in the publication, in accordance with the Institute's publication policy. Such tools shall not be listed as authors, and the named authors remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, and originality of the work.

Alleged violations of research ethics standards should be reported to the Institute Director. The Institute Director will investigate reported violations and may take remedial action including retraction of publications, termination of affiliation in accordance with Article 13, or referral to the researcher's home institution.

Where the person alleged to have violated these standards is the Institute Director, or where the Institute Director has a conflict of interest in the matter, the report shall instead be made to the Group, which shall designate an impartial person or panel to investigate and decide the matter. The recipient of a report shall acknowledge it in writing within 14 days and complete a preliminary assessment within 30 days of receipt to determine whether a formal investigation is warranted. A formal investigation shall be conducted fairly, confidentially, and without prejudgment, and shall be concluded within 120 days of its opening, a period that may be extended only for reasons recorded in writing. A person affected by an adverse finding shall be given a written statement of the findings and a reasonable opportunity to respond, and may request a review by the Group within 14 days of receiving the statement. No person shall suffer retaliation for reporting in good faith, and the identity of a person making a report shall be kept confidential so far as practicable. Records of each investigation shall be retained for at least seven years.

Article 16

Conflict of Interest

All persons affiliated with the Institute — including Research Fellows, Associate Research Fellows, Visiting Scholars, Research Assistants, Research Center Directors, and the Institute Director — must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that may affect, or be seen to affect, the integrity of their research, publications, editorial judgments, or other professional activities conducted under the Institute's name.

A conflict of interest exists where a person's financial interests, institutional relationships, personal relationships, or other interests could influence or be perceived to influence their professional judgment. The threshold for disclosure is low: where in doubt, disclosure is required.

Conflict of interest disclosures must be made in all Institute publications where relevant, and must be made to the Institute Director upon commencement of affiliation and whenever a new conflict arises, and shall be reviewed and confirmed at least once a year. Failure to disclose a material conflict of interest may constitute a research ethics violation under Article 15.

A person shall not take part in any decision of the Institute concerning a work of which that person is an author or co-author, or in which that person otherwise has a conflict of interest, including decisions on publication, sponsorship, appointment, or funding. Where that person is a member of the Institute's leadership, the decision shall be taken by another member of the leadership or, where none is available, by the Group, and the conflict and its management shall be recorded.

Full provisions governing conflict of interest identification, disclosure, and management are set out in the Institute's Conflict of Interest Policy, which is adopted as a subsidiary governance document to this Charter.

Article 17

Intellectual Property

Copyright in research publications produced under the Institute's auspices is retained by the named authors, except for Institutional Works as defined in this Article. Because the Institute is not a separate legal entity, authors grant the Group, for the Institute's use, a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to publish, reproduce, distribute, archive, and make available the work in any format, including digitally.

Institutional Works are documents authored by or on behalf of the Institute in its institutional capacity, including annual reports, guidelines and standards, official statements, and governance documents. Copyright in Institutional Works is held by the Group, as the Institute's legal entity, unless otherwise stated in the work. Institutional Works that the Institute designates for publication shall be released under CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise stated in the work. Where an Institutional Work incorporates contributions from named individuals, those contributors shall be acknowledged, and any rights in their contributions that have not been assigned in writing remain with them. Research reports, working papers, policy briefs, and edited volumes that carry named authors are not Institutional Works. Copyright and licensing of journal articles remain subject to the arrangements of the journal concerned.

Internal documents of the Institute, including internal minutes, drafts, correspondence, personnel and financial records, and other confidential materials, are not publications for the purposes of this Charter. They are not subject to the open access and licensing provisions of Article 11 or this Article and shall not be made public except as determined by the Group or the Institute Director, or as required by applicable law, and in every case subject to any obligation of confidentiality. Copyright in internal documents is held by the Group unless otherwise agreed in writing. The designation of a document as an Institutional Work for publication does not require the disclosure of its drafts, supporting internal deliberations, or confidential supporting materials.

Where the publication of a research report, edited volume, or other publication is to be withheld for a period, whether at the request of the author(s), a partner publisher, or a contributing institution, or for reasons of research integrity, the Institute shall treat the work and its content as confidential during that period (the "Protection Period") and shall not make them public. The Protection Period is generally between six months and three years and shall be set out in a written agreement, made before publication by the Group, for the Institute's use, with the author(s) and, where applicable, the partner, stating its start date and duration. Where publication is delayed, including by editorial, peer review, production, or partner scheduling, or by legal or contractual requirements, the Protection Period may be extended by further written agreement; a delay shall not of itself end the Protection Period or entitle any party to publish the work. The Institute shall keep a record of each Protection Period and its extensions. After the Protection Period ends, the work shall be dealt with in accordance with this Charter, including the following paragraph.

A work authored by scholars affiliated with the Institute shall not be published by the Institute without the author's consent. Where such an author elects not to make the work public, the Institute shall not make it public, save for Institutional Works and as required by applicable law.

All Institute publications, other than journal articles, are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0) unless an alternative open license is agreed upon in writing with the author(s) prior to publication. The CC BY 4.0 license permits any person to share, adapt, and use the work for any purpose, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and the Institute.

Research data produced in the course of Institute-affiliated research should be made publicly available to the fullest extent consistent with applicable privacy, confidentiality, and legal requirements. Data availability statements must be included in all research publications.

The Institute's name, logo, and visual identity are the property of Panorama Scholarly Group. Their use is governed by the Name and Logo Usage Policy set out in Article 18 and the subsidiary governance document adopted pursuant to it.

Article 18

Use of Name and Logo

The name "Panorama Research Institute" and the Institute's logo may only be used by persons and organizations authorized to do so. Authorization is conferred by the Institute Director or, in the case of formal institutional uses, by Panorama Scholarly Group.

Authorized uses include: use by affiliated scholars in connection with Institute-sanctioned research and publications; use by partner institutions in documents that have been formally approved by the Institute; use by media in accurate reporting about the Institute; and use in events that have been formally co-organized with the Institute.

Prohibited uses include: implying Institute endorsement of any position, product, or organization that has not been authorized; using the Institute's name in the title or cover of a publication that the Institute has not approved; altering or distorting the Institute's logo; and using the Institute's name or logo after an affiliation has ended.

Detailed usage requirements, including logo specifications, are set out in the Institute's Name and Logo Usage Policy, which is adopted as a subsidiary governance document to this Charter.

Article 19

Finance and Administration

The Group shall be responsible for the legal, financial, and administrative arrangements supporting the Institute. Institute funds, receipts, payments, financial records, and liabilities shall be administered within the Group's financial framework. The Institute shall not maintain separate financial accounts, hold funds as a separate legal person, enter into financial contracts independently, or incur liabilities in its own name.

Operational budgets for the Institute's research, publication, event, and scholar programs shall be allocated by the Group in consultation with the Institute Director. The Director shall administer expenditures within the allocated budgets and the authority granted by the Group, and shall submit financial reports to the Group as required.

Fellowship stipends, honoraria, or other compensation paid to affiliated scholars shall be administered by the Group. Eligibility, availability, and amounts shall be determined individually under the applicable arrangements. Academic affiliation alone shall not create an entitlement to such payments. Membership fees under the Institute's Membership Program shall be collected and administered by the Group. The Membership Program is a scholarly network and resource service; it is not a degree, academic credential, or professional certification program, and membership does not, of itself, confer the status of Research Fellow, Visiting Scholar, Research Center member, or any governance status. Institute sponsorship of journal articles shall be administered by the Group within allocated budgets, shall be disclosed in the article concerned, and shall not influence its editorial or peer review outcome.

Institute publications, the website, and formal institutional communications shall disclose the relationship between the Institute and the Group in accordance with Article 3. External research grants or contributions supporting Institute activities shall be received and administered by the Group, which shall be identified as the legal recipient or contracting party where applicable. Relevant publications shall disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest. Financial administration, funding arrangements, and budget approval shall not confer authority to determine research findings, editorial judgments, or publication decisions. Those matters shall remain subject to the Institute's academic governance, ethics, and quality standards.

The Group shall be responsible, as the Institute's legal entity, for compliance with applicable personal data protection law in respect of personal information collected for the Institute's activities, including information provided by applicants, members, scholars, partners, and visitors to the Institute's website. Such information shall be collected and used only for legitimate institutional purposes, in accordance with the Institute's Data and Documentation Policy, and shall be disclosed or transferred only as permitted by applicable law or with the consent of the person concerned. Personal information shall be retained only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and the data of unsuccessful applicants shall not be retained for more than twelve months after the decision except with consent. A person may request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information held about them, and the request shall be answered within 30 days. In the event of a breach affecting personal information, the Group shall notify the persons affected and the competent authority as soon as practicable and within any period required by applicable law.

Should the Institute be restructured, merged, or discontinued, the Group shall determine the continuing arrangements, in consultation with the Institute Director, including continued public access to published works through their DOIs and their deposit in a recognized long-term digital preservation service, the preservation of the Institute's records and research data in accordance with the Data and Documentation Policy, the observance of any Protection Period and of the rights of authors under Article 17, and notice to affiliated scholars and partners at least ninety days before any discontinuation takes effect. The Institute's records shall be retained for at least seven years after discontinuation.

Article 20

Amendment and Interpretation

Amendments to this Charter may be proposed in writing by the Institute's leadership, affiliated scholars, or the Group, and shall be made by the Institute Director with the approval of the Group. Proposed amendments shall be circulated to all Research Center Directors and the Advisory Board at least thirty days before adoption for comment. Comments received shall be considered before the decision on adoption, but shall not be binding.

Amendments shall take effect on the date of adoption unless a later effective date is specified. The Charter's version number and effective date shall be stated on the cover. The Institute Office shall maintain the complete version history, publish each adopted version on the Institute's website, and keep every superseded version, unaltered, publicly available.

Subsidiary governance documents — including the Governance Rules, the Amendment Procedure, the Research Ethics Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Publication and Reporting Policy, Data and Documentation Policy, Academic Independence Policy, and Name and Logo Usage Policy — may be adopted, amended, or replaced by the Institute Director without a formal Charter amendment, provided they do not conflict with the provisions of this Charter.

The Institute Director has final interpretive authority over the provisions of this Charter. Where ambiguity arises in the interpretation of any provision, the interpretation that is most consistent with the Institute's mission as set out in Article 4 shall be preferred. In the event of a conflict between this Charter and any subsidiary governance document, this Charter prevails.

This Charter and the subsidiary governance documents are published in English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the language versions, the English version prevails.

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