ARTICLE I: NAME & PURPOSE

Section A: Name – This forum shall be known as the East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars (EAFONS). It is a non-profit educational group. Potential institutions and individuals joining the EAFONS may come from East Asian countries/regions.

Section B: Aim – EAFONS aims to strengthen and promote high–quality doctoral education for nursing in Asia and create an environment for academics and socialization among Asian scholars through international collaboration and cooperation.

Section C: Objectives
In order to pursue the overall aim of advancing doctoral education in Asia, several specific objectives will be pursued by the Forum:

1. To create a shared vision for the future of doctoral education in Asia.

2. To inspire excellence in teaching, learning, and research in doctoral nursing programs.

3. To develop opportunities for a productive exchange of individuals and ideas across doctoral programs within and among countries/regions.

4. To convene annual conferences for doctoral-prepared nurse academics and their students in member countries/regions on a rotational basis.

5. To actively recruit qualified individuals and collaborate with otherassociations/organizations who will enrich the forum and further its aims.

6. To develop quality indicators/guidelines for doctoral education that are applicable to doctoral programs in this region.

7. To provide opportunities for dialogue and networking among doctoral educators and doctoral students to address issues of shared interest.

8. To develop approaches for influencing policies relevant to doctoral education in Asia.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to nursing institutions in Asia offering a hight-quality doctoral program in nursing. 

ARTICLE III: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF EAFONS

Section A. EAFONS Executive Committee

EAFONS is a collegial body and shall be governed by an Executive Committee (EC) and Chair. The EC shall lead the planning and implementation of activities to achieve EAFONS aims and objectives.

Section B. Members of the Executive Committee

1. The EC shall be composed of 1 to 2 representatives from each Member country/region.

The country/region representative is open to faculty who are active doctoral supervisors coming from any of the regular institutional members within the country/region.

2. In general, the term of office of EC members is two years. The term of office is three terms,and the selection of country representatives to be members of the EC shall be subject to the own way of nomination and succession of individual EC member countries/regions.

Nomination of EC country/region representatives shall be subject to endorsement by the EC members electronically or in-person, utilized as necessary.

3. A unanimous vote of the EC member of EAFONS grants membership in EAFONS.

Section C. Chair

From among the EC members, a Chair shall be elected by the EC members for a term of two years. To be eligible, a Chair should have been an EC member for at least two years prior to the election. The term of a Chair shall be no more than three terms (six years in total).

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall meet annually during the annual conference.

Special meetings may be convened as needed using a telecommunication medium.

The agenda of the annual EAFONS meeting will be planned in advance by the Chair. The meeting will be chaired by the Chair and co-chaired by the conference host institution, taking turns each year.

A 51% quorum of EC members (or his/her delegates)/member countries/regions (whichever is the smaller number) must be met.

ARTICLE V: CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

The majority of the work shall be facilitated by the Chair and conducted electronically; in-person and other means will be utilized as necessary.

A website of EAFONS should be maintained each time by the Chair’s institution and transferred to the next Chair’s when changed.

ARTICLE VI: CONFERENCES

The EAFONS conference shall be held annually.

Each conference will be hosted by a member country/region on a rotational basis, as agreed by the EC.

The conference host will have administrative responsibility for the conference.

The conference host should make recommendations and report to the EC as necessary regarding programming content and/or processes.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS

Any proposal to amend the By-laws of EAFONS must be discussed and approved by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the EC members (or his/her delegates)/ member countries/regions (whichever is the smaller number).

ARTICLE VIII: APPENDED RULES

Items necessary for the operation and management of EAFONS that are not stated in the provisions of these By-laws are stipulated elsewhere.

The revised By-laws will become effective on July 4, 2024.