Chapter I. General Provisions

Article I. Names of the Alliance
(1)Alliance Name in Chinese：丝路国际建筑科技大学联盟
(2)Alliance Name in English：Silk Road International Alliance of Architectural and Technological Universities
(3)Alliance Name in Abbreviation：SRIAATU

Article II. Purposes of the Alliance
Adhering to the Silk Road spirit of “peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit”, SRIAATU follows the philosophy of “development first, universal inclusiveness and innovation-driven growth”. Based on different national conditions of countries along the Silk Road with a focus on urbanization practice, SRIAATU aims to share knowledge resources, promote knowledge flow and theoretical innovation, and solve development problems. All parties shall work together with to build a better home for all.

Article III. Nature of the Alliance
SRIAATU is a non-governmental, non-profit, open and international higher education cooperation alliance initiated by Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology and voluntarily joined and jointly established by architecture and technology universities in countries along the Silk Road.

Chapter II.  Main Bodies

Article IV. SRIAATU General Assembly
The General Assembly of the alliance shall be composed of all SRIAATU members and convened once every 3-4 years. Each member institution shall designate at least one representative to attend the assembly. Any member institution may apply to host the Assembly, and the venue and content of the Assembly shall be determined by the Permanent Council in consultation with the host.

Article V. SRIAATU Permanent Council
(1) Permanent Council is the principal decision-making body of the Alliance, and performs the management functions of the Alliance and other functions stipulated in the Charter;
(2) The term of office of the Permanent Council shall be four years, with co-optation and withdrawal mechanisms;
(3)  The Permanent Council shall convene once a year;
(4) The Permanent Council shall actively promote friendly cooperation among the members of the Alliance and organize relevant exchange activities;
(5) The Permanent Council shall adopt friendly consultation to formulate and amend the SRIAATU Charter, deliberate the work report of the Alliance, and decide other major matters by discussion;
(6) The first Permanent Council is composed of member universities that played an important role in the creation of SRIAATU.

Article VI. SRIAATU Secretariat
SRIAATU sets up a Secretariat responsible for the day-to-day operations and liaison work of the Alliance at Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology.

Chapter III Membership

Article VII. Accession Process and Enlargement
(1)The universities that initiate the Alliance are the founding members of SRIAATU.
(2)Universities applying to join the Alliance shall acknowledge and abide by the SRIAATU Charter, boost distinctive philosophy of education in the field of architectural technology.
(3)After the establishment, universities or institutions that are interested in joining the Alliance may apply to the SRIAATU Secretariat which would solicit the opinions of the members of the Permanent Council. The new candidates shall be accepted after the approval of more than two-thirds of the council members.

Article VIII. Rights of Members
(1)Utilize shared information and resources of SRIAATU;
(2)Attend the Alliance meetings, carry out and engage in programs on inter-university exchanges, talent training, scientific research cooperation under the framework of the Alliance cooperation;
(3)Propose suggestions on alliance building and participate in discussions on related issues;
(4)Indicate membership of SRIAATU for appropriate media exposures;
(5)Apply the emblem, logo and other symbols owned by SRIAATU in a proper way, provided that the interests of the Alliance and other members are not harmed.

Article IX. Obligations of Members
(1)Abide by the SRIAATU Charter and protect the reputation of the Alliance;
(2)Implement the resolutions of the Alliance and complete the work entrusted by the Alliance;
(3)Actively participate in the activities organized by the Alliance and abide by the relevant regulations;
(4)Provide information necessary for the work of the Alliance and fully respect the IPR among members of SRIAATU;
(5)Respect the traditional customs of members’ home countries, and abide by their laws and regulations;
(6)Work closely in good faith without harming the reputation or interests of other members of the Alliance.

Article X. SRIAATU does not assume any responsibility for the consequences of the acts of members and between members.

Chapter IV  Cooperation Content

Article XI. Inter-university Exchanges
(1)Various activities for inter-university exchanges are advocated among members of the Alliance.
(2)A platform for information exchange and resource sharing is established among members of the Alliance.
(3)All kinds of exchange activities among the members of the Alliance shall be carried out under the legal framework of the cooperating parties based on the principle of mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, and shall be specified and determined by the cooperating parties through friendly consultation.

Article XII. Talent Training
(1)Member universities are promoted to increase capacity of international students, work together on Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools, joint training and other various exchanges.
(2)All kinds of cooperation activities on talent training among the members of the Alliance shall be carried out under the legal framework of the cooperating parties and shall be specified and determined by the cooperating parties through friendly consultation.

Article XIII. Scientific Research Cooperation
(1) Exchanges and cooperation of scientific researchers are promoted among member universities, while scientific and technological innovations are enhanced through joint applications for research projects and joint laboratories (research centers).
(2)Academic forums and seminars are held regularly to share the joint research outcomes in architecture and technology among member universities.
(3)The ownership and sharing of joint research outcomes and other intellectual property rights and interests facilitated by SRIAATU shall be determined by the cooperating parties through their own consultation.
Article XⅣ. Cultural Exchanges
(1)Member universities may work together in organizing various activities such as scientific and technological innovation competitions, cultural exchange camps, summer programs, sports competitions and art festivals to enhance exchanges and deepen friendship among faculties and students of SRIAATU.
(2)All kinds of cultural exchange activities under the framework of SRIAATU shall be based on the principle of equality and mutual trust, and follow the ethnic and religious customs of all countries and regions.

Article XⅤ. Policy Research
(1)SRIAATU members are encouraged to work together for policy research on architecture and technology, and to provide decision-making suggestions for the urbanization construction of countries along the Silk Road.
(2)Policy research within the framework of SRIAATU shall be conducted in accordance with relevant international or domestic law and regulations.

Article XⅥ.  Social Engagement
Based on the principle of mutual respect, members of the Alliance with capabilities and characteristics are encouraged to carry out cooperation in various forms to serve for social development and improve their capacities in social engagement.

Chapter Ⅴ  Funding

Article XVII. The SRIAATU Secretariat shall be responsible for the daily operating expenses of SRIAATU, including website development and maintenance, communication and liaison services.

Article XVIII. The expenses for activities relevant to the General Assembly  and the Permanent Council of SRIAATU, including international travel, accommodation and catering, conference venues and information services, shall be separately agreed upon according to the specific conference arrangement.

Chapter VI  Supplementary Provisions

Article XIX. The SRIAATU Charter shall take effect after being voted by the Permanent Council of the Alliance.

Article XX. The amendment of the SRIAATU Charter shall be discussed and decided by the Permanent Council of the Alliance.

Article XXI. The SRIAATU Secretariat shall be responsible for the interpretation of the Charter.