Procedures for the Planning of International Meetings

December 10, 1997

The Robotics Society of Japan, International Committee

This manual stipulates the basic points when the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ) plans international meetings with which the RSJ will have involvement. The type of involvement with international meetings that the RSJ will have includes “Sponsorship” “Co-sponsorship” and “Cooperation.” International meetings include conferences, symposiums, workshops, etc.

1. Type of international meeting involvement

(1) Sponsorship/Co-sponsorship

The sponsorship of meetings that are mainly planned by the RSJ shall be referred to as “Sponsorship,” and the co-sponsorship of meetings that are mainly planned by other organizations and participated in and partially operated by the RSJ shall be referred to as “Co-sponsorship.” There are two types of Co-sponsorship: meetings with a burden of expense (Co-sponsorship) and meetings without a burden of expense (Technical Co-sponsorship). A burden of expenses means the responsibility of the RSJ for the allocation and burden of reserves and loss.

(2) Cooperation

Cooperation means the Cooperation provided by the RSJ mainly for public relations. This is to perform advertisement activities aimed at RSJ members and related persons at every opportunity and to call for the contribution of research papers and participation.

(3) Other

(a) In relation to the above, several English expressions such as “Sponsored by IEEE/RAS and RSJ,” “Co-sponsored by IEEE/RAS and RSJ,” “Sponsored by RSJ, Co-sponsored by IEEE/RAS,” “Sponsored by IEEE/RAS," “Technical Co-sponsored by RSJ” and “Cooperation with RSJ” exist and each conference may use such expressions in accordance with past practices. However, when the phrases Sponsorship and Co-sponsorship are used, the burden of the responsibility of RSJ (burden of expenses) shall be clearly confirmed in writing.

(b) The indication of Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship and Cooperation
1) In the case of Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship and Technical Co-sponsorship, the name of the RSJ and preferably the logo of the RSJ shall be indicated in the Call for Papers, Advance & Final Program, Letter Head, Proceedings, etc. It is offered to have Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship and Technical Co-sponsorship be indicated therein. In the case of Cooperation, it is required to have such information be indicated at least in the Program and Proceedings.

2) In the case of the Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship and Technical Co-sponsorship, the secretary of the RSJ shall receive at least one copy of all of the papers as a donation and shall retain such copy.

2. Procedures for International Meeting Plan

(1) International meetings under the Sponsorship of the RSJ shall be proposed by the Director in charge of the business and the RSJ shall take full responsibility.
(2) The type of participation in international meetings jointly held by the RSJ shall be determined in accordance with the procedures below, upon the proposal of a person with adequate responsibility. In particular, the type of participation in an international meeting that incurs a burden of expense shall be finally confirmed by an official request from the head of the organization voluntarily holding the meeting and by the acceptance of the request in the name of the President of the RSJ.
The procedures shall be indicated in the following flow chart.
(3) If the parent body for the international meeting is an organization temporarily organized for the international meeting, the International Committee shall perform a detailed review of the operational type and burden of expense.

3. Copyright of International Meetings
The purpose of the copyright is to protect the rights of the sponsoring society and the authors. It prevents the academic papers contributed in the meeting under Sponsorship (Co-sponsorship) from being used by the others and allows the sponsoring society to receive fair consideration if a license to use is permitted. Additionally, the rights of the authors concerning his/her papers may be protected by the Society.

(1) Intentional Meetings Sponsored by the RSJ
In principle, the RSJ shall own the copyright in respect to the international meetings sponsored by the RSJ. The RSJ does not have the concept of the ownership of all of the papers shared with the other societies and the indication of the ownership of the RSJ shall be placed on all of the papers.
(2) International meetings Co-sponsored by the RSJ
The RSJ shall not have any objections to the ownership of the other society, if the rights of the RSJ and the authors are protected. However, if the other society or organization does not have the ability to control the copyrights, the RSJ shall have the right to offer to control the copyrights.

4. Involvement of the secretary of the RSJ in the handling of the affairs of international meetings

In principle, the secretary of the RSJ shall not be involved. However, the handling of the affairs of meetings sponsored by the RSJ may be delegated to the secretary upon the approval of the Director in charge of General Affairs.

5. Method of Proposal and Application of the Sponsorship, Co-sponsorship and Cooperation of International Meetings

(1) Documents to be submitted (Chart 1)
At the time of planning:

(a) Statement of proposal of the Sponsorship of the international meeting or the request for the Co-sponsorship (Cooperation) of the international meeting, which is comprised of the following items:
 1) Name of the meeting (Japanese name and English name)
 2) Holding date
 3) Place of meeting
 4) Name of the organizations for Sponsorship/Co-sponsorship/Cooperation (the ratio of the burden of responsibility)
 5) Propose of the meeting
 6) Size of the meeting (the number of the published papers and number of anticipated participants)
 7) The amount of the budget (statement of plan of balance)
 8) If fund-raising is necessary, the method and the amount thereof
 9) Operation of organization (the name of committee members and their affiliations)
 10) General Chairman (affiliation, position and name)
 11) The person in charge of communication with the RSJ (the International Committee) (affiliation, position and name)
   However, in the case of a request for Cooperation, items 7), 8), 9) and 11) may be omitted.
Item 11) shall be determined upon consultation with the RSJ.
(b) The Call for Papers (draft)
(c) The plan of budget of balance (draft)
(d) The plan of invitation for donations (draft)


At the time of ending:
(e) Implementation report
(f) Statement of settlement of balance

(2) The report obligation of the applicant concerning the progress
In respect to permitted international meetings, the situation of implementation, the Advance Program, etc., shall be submitted and reported to the RSJ. Especially, in the case of an international meeting with a burden of expenses, a report on the balance of payment (the budget and settlement) to the Board of Directors of the RSJ is obligated, progress shall be reported in the International Committee of the RSJ and the committee members (or committee chairman) representing the RSJ shall participate in the Executive Committee and the Research Paper Committee.