Governance Architecture

Four-tier architecture

Who decides what

The General Assembly

• Composition: all Founding, Full, and Associate Members; Observers attend without vote.
• Convening: annually, in person or hybrid, usually alongside the biennial Symposium.
• Responsibilities: ratification of the Strategic Plan; admission of new Members; election of Regional Directors; approval of the annual budget; amendment of the Charter.

The Board of Directors

• Size: 12–15 seats.
• Composition: President (Chair) · Secretary-General (HZAU, ex officio) · four Regional Directors (Asia-Pacific, Europe, Americas, Africa/MENA) · Early Career Representative · SAC Chair (ex officio) · up to six at-large seats for disciplinary balance.
• Cadence: quarterly virtual; one in-person annually.
• Responsibilities: strategic direction; approval of Working-Group charters; oversight of the Secretariat; external representation of the Society.

The Scientific Advisory Council (SAC)

• Size: 9–12 members, nominated by the Board and confirmed by the Assembly.
• Composition: senior scientists across the seven thematic areas, plus at least one early-career researcher.
• Responsibilities: peer review of Flagship proposals; authorship of the Annual State of Grafting Science; review of SOPs before publication.

The Secretariat

• Host: College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, HZAU.
• Functions: administration; meetings coordination; website and Knowledge Commons operations; Charter custodianship; budget.
• Staffing: Secretary-General (ex officio Board member), Scientific Programme Officer, Communications Officer, Data Steward.

Terms of service