Constitution & Rules
1. NAME
The Association shall be called the Asian Association for Biology Education hereinafter referred to as ‘the
Association”. The letters AABE are the recognised contraction of the Association.
2. AIM and OBJECTIVES
The AABE is a not‐for‐profit educational organisation dedicated to the advancement of biology education and
the dissemination of information relating to biology education.
The objectives of the Association shall be:
2.1 To improve the teaching of and promote research in biology, in Asian countries.
2.2 To bring together biology teachers and educators of Asian countries at meetings held biennially,
hereinafter called ‘Conferences’ or ‘Conference’.
2.3 To establish an agency in Asia to serve as a centre for the exchange of teaching materials, journals,
research papers, specialists and teachers in biological science, and to open channels of communication
between this agency and agencies in different countries doing similar work.
2.4 To promote the creation of biological science teaching and research centres in each Asian country.
3. MEMBERSHIP
The Association shall consist of Individual Members and Honorary Members from, but not limited to,
countries across Asia.
3.1 All persons interested in biology education shall be eligible for membership upon payment of the biennial
membership fee.
3.2 The admission to membership of the Association shall therefore be made as follows:
a) As Individual Members, persons who pay registration (including the biennial membership fee) and
attend a Conference.
b) As Individual Members, persons who pay the biennial membership fee to the Executive Secretary
(due normally when a Biennial Conference is held). The biennial membership fee will be reviewed at
each General Meeting of Members (hereafter referred to as the General Meeting).
c) As Honorary Members, persons who have rendered distinguished service to biological education and
to the aim and objectives of the Association and who are nominated by the Executive Committee or
at a General Meeting. The Honorary Members are exempted from the biennial membership fee
and may be invited as guests to each biennial Conference.
4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The affairs of the Association shall be directed by an Executive Committee elected for a two year period from
members nominated by participating countries and approved at a General Meeting.
4.1 The Executive Committee shall consist of duly elected officers and members representing participating
countries. Individual Members from each country can nominate one representative. Any country of
which the number of Individual Members is above ten can nominate two representatives. As a general
principle, membership of the Executive Committee shall be limited to two (2) representatives from each
country. Any candidate for Executive Committee member must be a member in good standing, must be
twenty‐one (21) years of age or older and must have been a member of the AABE for a minimum of two
years. Should an Executive member be absent without reason for two consecutive Executive Committee
meetings then membership of the Executive Committee will be forfeited.
4.2 There shall be the following officers elected by the Executive Committee members biennially: Executive
Chair, Conference Executive Director, Executive Secretary‐Treasurer, Internal Auditor and Journal Editor.
4.3 The role of officers shall be as follows:
a) Executive Chair shall chair both the General Meeting and the Executive Committee meetings;
b) Conference Executive Director will normally reside in the country that is to host the next Conference
and will establish the Conference Organising Committee;
c) Executive Secretary‐Treasurer, with assistance from the Secretary of the Conference Organizing
Committee, shall be responsible to the Executive Committee and the general members, for
conducting the correspondence and for the general routine work of the Association, including work
that relates to finance, preparing and circulating an agenda for meetings of the Executive Committee
and for the recording of Minutes of the Executive Committee meetings, General Meetings and,
where possible, any other committee or sub‐committee meetings of the Association;
d) Internal Auditor shall audit all financial reports; and
e) Journal Editor shall be responsible for the preparation and publication of the Asian Journal of Biology
Education every two years.
4.4 Candidates for each office shall be presented by nomination at the biennial meeting of the Executive
Committee. Nominations from Individual Members will be taken before voting is conducted. Candidates
must have given their permission to run, verbally to two current executive members or in writing to the
Executive Secretary. Officers once elected shall be installed at the regular General Meeting.
4.5 The Executive Committee shall function until such time as a new Executive Committee has been formed
at the next General Meeting.
4.6 Five members of the Executive Committee shall form a quorum.
4.7 The Executive Committee shall have the following powers and functions:
a) It shall have authority to act in the name and on behalf of the Association, in all matters that do not
conflict with the functions of the General Meeting, and it shall have the power to frame regulations
and amend them when necessary, subject to ratification by the General Meeting.
b) In the interval between two consecutive biennial conferences, it shall manage the affairs of the
Association and may fill any vacancies that may arise in the Executive Committee.
c) It shall hold such meetings as it thinks fit, and shall in any case meet, during the next Conference
following, to consider matters to be brought before the General Meeting held at that Conference.
d) The Executive Committee shall have the power to refuse an application for membership.
4.8 Long standing members of previous Executive Committees, with the approval of the current members,
can remain Executive Members in honorary positions. Such members will provide advice and mentoring,
however will not have the right to vote on Executive matters or hold office.
5. CONFERENCE ORGANISING COMMITTEE
5.1 A Conference Organising Committee shall be established by the Conference Executive Director for the
next Conference of the Association. The Conference Organising Committee will have a Secretary either
elected by the members of the Conference Organising Committee or nominated by the Executive
Director.
5.2 This Conference Organising Committee shall consist of a least four members, and shall include (ex‐officio)
the Executive Director.
5.3 The Conference Organising Committee shall have the responsibility of organising and running the next
Conference and presenting a financial report to the next Executive Committee meeting.
5.4 The Secretary of the Conference Organising Committee will be responsible to communicate, where
necessary, with the Executive Secretary‐Treasurer regarding matters of correspondence, finance, and
items for inclusion on meeting agendas for the meetings of the Executive Committee, and of the General
Meeting.
6. MEETINGS
6.1 A General Meeting open to all members will be held at each biennial Conference. All members will be
notified of the venue, date and time in the upcoming Conference Programme. At the meeting the
Executive Chair will present an AABE report and the new Executive Committee will be announced. Any
proposals given to the Executive Secretary‐Treasurer 24 hours prior to the meeting shall be discussed.
6.2 Executive Meetings shall be held face‐to‐face at least once prior to the General Meeting. An agenda shall
be prepared by the Executive Secretary‐Treasurer and circulated to Executive Members at least one
month prior to the meeting date. Any proposals for inclusions on the agenda should be submitted to the
Executive Secretary‐Treasurer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
7. CONFERENCE
7.1 The Conference Executive Director shall control the general organisation and administration of the
biennial Conference, and shall be responsible to the Executive Committee and the General Meeting for
the implementation of various decisions made by them.
7.2 It shall be competent for the Conference Executive Director to act in the name of the Association, in any
matter of urgency that cannot be brought under the consideration of the Executive Committee, and the
Executive Director shall report such action to the Executive Committee at the next meeting.
8. FINANCE
8.1 The funds of the Association shall be kept in a central account in the name of the Association at a
chartered Bank in the country where the Executive Secretary‐Treasurer is located.
8.2 The Executive Secretary‐Treasurer is empowered to draw on the central account of the Association, and,
with the authority of the Executive Committee, to invest on behalf of the Association part or all of the
balance standing at any time to the credit of the Association in the books of the Association’s bankers, in
such investments as may be recommended by the Executive Committee.
8.3 All central account cheques shall be signed by the Executive Chair and the Executive Secretary‐Treasurer.
8.4 The Conference Executive Director is empowered to open a local Conference bank account in the name
of the Association, and to engage in transactions in the name of the Association in order to prepare for
and run the next Conference of the Association. Two signatures of members of the Conference
Organising Committee will be needed if funds need to be paid out of this account. Normally, the
Conference Executive Director or the Conference Executive Director’s nominee shall be one such
signatory.
8.5 The Secretary of the Conference Organising Committee shall receive, acknowledge, and manage all sums
of money paid to the local Conference bank account of the Association, maintain records of all income
and expenditure and prepare and submit to the Executive Committee meeting and the General Meeting
a balance‐sheet of the funds of this account. A financial statement of income and expenditure for the local
Conference operating account, signed by the Conference Executive Director and the Secretary of the
Conference Organising Committee shall also be submitted to the Executive Secretary‐Treasurer within
sixty days of the end of the biennial conference for circulation to Executive members.
8.6 The Secretary of the Organizing Committee is empowered to draw on the local Conference operating
account of the Association, for the conduct of all legitimate business of the Association, on the
recommendation of the Conference Executive Director. Should any difficulty arise over the disbursement
of funds, the advice of the Executive Committee must be sort.
8.7 All accounts of the Association shall be audited biennially, prior to the next Conference, by the Internal
Auditor appointed by the Executive Committee, and thereafter, by an External Auditor appointed by the
members at the latest General Meeting.
8.8 The Auditors shall submit an audit report to the Executive Committee and shall present it to the General
Meeting. The AABE audit report of accounts shall be sent to all members of the Association by the
Executive Secretary‐Treasurer and shall be presented to the General Meeting at each Conference.
8.9 The Association will not be liable for any debts incurred by the Conference Organizing Committee.
However, at the discretion of a majority of the Executive Committee, the Association may disburse funds
from its central account to the Conference Organising Committee where appropriate, for example:
a. To set up the next Conference
b. To meet any publicity expenses
c. To contribute towards any deficit in the local Conference operating account.
8.10 The Conference Organising Committee should endeavour, wherever possible, to have Conferences that
pay for themselves, or that return a modest profit to the Association. The Executive Committee shall not
be responsible for debts incurred by the Conference Organising Committee.
9. PUBLICATIONS
9.1 A Book of Abstracts of the papers (oral and poster) presented at each Conference shall be published.
9.2 An online journal the Asian Journal of Biology Education shall be published on the AABE Website.
9.3 Other materials, in keeping with the objects of the Association, may be published at the discretion of the
Executive Committee.
9.4 The Executive Committee shall determine the title, format and price, from time to time, of the
Association’s publications, subject to any statutory rights of libraries, or other considerations at the
Executive Committee’s discretion.
9.5 The Executive Committee shall determine whether a publication of the Association should be issued to
members free of charge or at a special reduced price fixed by the Executive Committee.
10. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND RULES
10.1 Any alterations of, or addition to, any part of the Constitution and Rules, and new Rules, may be
proposed by the Executive Committee or by Individual Members, provided that such proposals from
Individual Members have been communicated to the Executive Committee through the Executive
Secretary‐Treasurer at least six months before the General Meeting at the next Conference.
10.2 It shall be within the power of the Executive Committee to make its own observations on the proposals
for amendments of the Constitution and Rules, made by Individual Members.
10.3 Amendments in the Constitution and Rules shall be made only if such amendments are accepted by a
two‐thirds majority of the Individual Members present and voting at the General Meeting.
11. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
11.1 The Asian Association for Biology Education shall not be dissolved except by a special resolution of the
Association issued by the Association for which no less than three (3) months written notice, including
notice of the proposed dissolution has been sent to all voting members of the Association.
11.2 In the event of the Association being dissolved by a special resolution, the Executive Committee shall
have the power to donate the amount of money that remains after dissolution to an organisation whose
aims and objectives are similar to those of the Association.
SIGNATURES AND DATES
This constitution was agreed and accepted at 25th Biennial AABE Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.