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.

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 common 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 productive exchange of individuals and ideas across
doctoral programs within and among countries.
4. To convene annual conferences for doctoral-prepared nurse academics and their
students in member countries on a rotational basis.
5. To actively recruit qualified individuals and collaborate with other
associations/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 or preparing to offer a
doctoral program in nursing and individuals who are interested or involved in doctoral
education in nursing.
Member country – Seven countries (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand,
Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan), that are starting countries of EAFONS in 1997.

ARTICLE III: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF EAFONS
Section A. EAFONS Executive Committee
EAFONS is a collegial body and therefore shall be governed by an Executive
Committee (EC) and Chair. The EC shall lead planning and implementation of
activities to achieve EAFONS aim and objectives.

Section B. Members of the Executive Committee
1. The EC shall be composed of 1 to 2 representatives from each Member country.
The country representative is open to faculty who are an active doctoral
supervisor coming from any of the regular institutional members within the
country.
2. In general, the term of office of EC members is 2 years. The term of office is 3
terms and 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.
Nomination of EC country representatives shall be subject to endorsement by the
EC members electronically of in-person, utilized as necessary.

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 2 years prior to election.

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 (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 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 process.

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 (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 April 15, 2021.

Revision suggested by the Chair on April 15, 2021