Statute of the Learned Society of Slovakia

In accordance with the provisions of § 3 Section 3 and § 9 Section 7 letter f) of Act No. 133/2002 Coll. on the Slovak Academy of Sciences, as amended (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) and in accordance with Article XI of the Statute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the President of the Scientific Council of the Slovak Academy of Sciences issues this Statute of the Learned Society of Slovakia (hereinafter referred to as “the Statute of the Learned Society”).

Art. I
The status of the Learned Society

1. The Learned Society of Slovakia was established by the Slovak Academy of Sciences (hereinafter also
   “the Academy”) according to § 3 Section 3 of the Act as an honorary body of the Academy representing the scientific community of the Slovak Republic.
2. The name of the society is the Learned Society of Slovakia (hereinafter referred to as “the Learned Society”). The official abbreviation is UčSS.
3. The name used in the English language is The Learned Society of Slovakia. The official abbreviation is LSS.

Art. II
Mission of the Learned Society

Learned Society:

1. is the top representative of the scientific community of the Slovak Republic at home and abroad,
2. it supports the development of science and the spread of scientific knowledge,
3. it participates in the representation of Slovak science at home and abroad,
4. it comments on ethical issues in research,
5. it monitors the application of research results in practice,
6. it cooperates with sophisticated societies at home and abroad,
7. it expresses its views on the fundamental problems and legal norms of research, development, innovation and education,
8. it takes a proactive approach to the orientation of research in the Slovak Republic.

Art. III
Membership in the Learned Society

1. Members of the Learned Society are important personalities of scientific life who have enriched science in the Slovak Republic and abroad and were elected according to Art. VII of this Statute.
2. The members of the Learned Society are:
   1. full members,
   2. emeritus members,
   3. foreign members.
3. Full members of the Learned Society are important scientists who are active or have actively worked in the territory of the Slovak Republic, who have not yet reached the age of 70 years and have been nominated as members in accordance with Art. IV of this Statute.
4. Emeritus members of the Learned Society are members after reaching the age of 70 years. Significant scientists who are active or have been active in the territory of the Slovak Republic have also been proposed as emeritus members in accordance with Art. IV and elected after reaching the age of 70 years.
5. Foreign members of the Learned Society are important scientists from abroad.
6. The number of full members is a maximum of 100.
7. The number of emeritus members is not limited.
8. The number of foreign members is 20 at most.
9. Membership in the Learned Society is of unlimited duration and expires upon death, declaration of death, expulsion or resignation of the member.
10. Members of the Learned Society use the designation “academician of the Learned Society of Slovakia”.
11. A member of a Learned Society may not be a person who has been lawfully convicted of an intentional criminal offence, who fundamentally violates the Statute of the Learned Society, social or scientific ethics.

Art. IV Terms of membership in the Learned Society

1. Top scientists are nominated as members of the Learned Society, who have achieved extraordinary scientific results with a significant international response.
2. Scientific results are quantified by extensive publishing activity, citation response, use of scientific work results in social practice including patents, education of researchers and pedagogical activity, domestic and foreign awards, elected membership in leading academies, learned societies and bodies of international scientific societies, membership in editorial councils of international scientific journals, expert activities at the international level.
3. The basic condition for membership is the significant exceeding of the criteria [for obtaining the scientific degree of DrSc.

Art. V
General Assembly of the Learned Society

1. The highest body of the Learned Society is the General Assembly of the Learned Society (hereinafter referred to as “the General Assembly”).
2. The General Assemblies are convened by the President of the Learned Society at least once a year.
3. The President of the Learned Society is obliged to convene a General Assembly if at least one-third of the members or the Scientific Council of the Academy so request in writing, within one
   month after receipt of the request. The request to convene the General Assembly must include a draft agenda.
4. The General Assembly is able to pass a resolution if an absolute majority of the full members of the Learned Society is present.
5. The proposal voted on by the General Assembly is accepted if it has been approved by an absolute majority of the present members of the Learned Society. This provision does not apply to proposals under Section (6) and issues of establishment and termination of membership according to Art. VII.
6. The draft statute of the Learned Society as a whole, as well as the draft amendments to the statute voted on at the General Assembly, are accepted if they have been approved by at least a two-thirds majority of the members of the Learned Society present.
7. At the sessions of the General Assembly, decisions are taken by secret vote on:
   1. the election of new members of the Learned Society and the termination of membership by expulsion,
   2. the election of the Council of the Learned Society (Art. VI Section 5),
   3. the election of the President of the Learned Society from the elected members of the Council of the Learned Society.
8. The General Assembly decides by voting at the General Assembly on:
   1. fundamental issues concerning the activities of the Learned Society,
   2. amendments to the statute of the Learned Society,
   3. fundamental organizational issues,
   4. opinions of the Learned Society.
9. The members of the Learned Society and the Scientific Council of the Academy may submit suggestions for the inclusion of materials and proposals in the agendas of individual sessions of the General Assembly.
10. Invitations to the Assembly with the agenda and relevant material shall be delivered to the members of the Learned Society at least 14 days before the date of the Assembly.
11. Guests may also be invited to attend the General Assembly by the President of the Learned Society.
12. The President of the Scientific Council of the Academy may attend the General Assembly ex officio.
13. Minutes of the General Assembly shall be prepared, for the accuracy of which the President is responsible. The minutes contain the main points of the meeting and the resolutions of the Learned Society. The minutes shall be delivered to the members of the Learned Society and the President of the Scientific Council of the Academy within 21 days after the date of the Assembly.
14. In addition to the General Assembly, members of the scholarly society may meet at working meetings. Working meetings of the Learned Society are convened and chaired by the President of the Learned Society, or a member of the Learned Society, on behalf of the President, or based on the approved agenda of activities of the Learned Society.

Art. VI
Officials and bodies of the Learned Society

1. The head of the Learned Society is the President of the Learned Society.
2. The President of the Learned Society
   1. represents the Learned Society externally,
   2. takes care of the smooth operation of the Learned Society,
   3. and acts on its behalf in all matters except those which are reserved by the Statute for the General Assembly. He shall inform the General Assembly of his decision at the next session.
3. At the time of his absence, the President of the Learned Society is represented within the scope of his competencies by the Vice-President of the Learned Society.
4. The organizational tasks of the Learned Society are provided by its Scientific Secretary.
5. The Learned Society elects a 5-7 member Board of the Learned Society (hereinafter “the Board”).
6. Only members of the Learned Society with permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic may be members of the Board.
7. The President of the Learned Society is the President of the Board, the Vice-President and the Scientific Secretary are members of the Board.
8. The Board assumes competencies under Art. VI Section 2, letter c). The President acts on behalf of the Learned Society based on a resolution of the Board and informs about the activities of the Board at the next meeting of the General Assembly. The term of office of the Society’s Board is 4 years.
9. Officials of the Learned Society may be removed from their functions if they have been convicted of a criminal offence or if they do not perform the duties arising from their function for a long time and without due cause.

Art. VII
Election of members of the Learned Society, termination of membership by expulsion

1. The members of the Learned Society are elected by the General Assembly from proposals submitted by the members of the Learned Society. Details for the submission of proposals and the conduct of elections are specified in the Election Rules of the Learned Society, approved by the General Assembly.
2. Elections of members of the Learned Society, dates and place of submission of proposals shall be published on the website of the Learned Society.
3. The President of the Learned Society shall inform the elected member in writing about the result of the elections, the rights and obligations arising from the membership.
4. The proposal for the expulsion of a member is submitted to the General Assembly by the President of the Learned Society.
5. Membership issues are voted on in secret at the General Assembly according to Sections (1) and (4) and proposals are accepted if they have been approved by more than a one-half majority of the members of the Learned Society present.
6. Elections of members of the Learned Society are usually held every two years.

Art. VIII
Rights and obligations of members of the Learned Society

1. The rights and obligations of the members of the Learned Society are:
   1. to participate in the sessions of the General Assembly and to participate in the meetings of the Learned Society,
   2. to make suggestions regarding the activities and work of the Learned Society,
   3. to participate in the activities of the Learned Society in all its areas,
   4. to use the term “academician of the UčSS”, in English
      „academician LSS”.
2. In addition to Section (1), full members have the right to
   1. participate in the votes of the General Assembly,
   2. be elected as officials of the Learned Society in accordance with Art. VI,
   3. decide by choice on the officials of the Learned Society, the composition of its Council and on membership issues,
   4. submit proposals to members of the Learned Society according to Art. VII Section (1),
   5. decide by voting on proposals according to letter b) Section (1),
   6. claim reimbursement of expenses according to § 3 Section 4 of the Act.
3. In addition to Section (1), emeritus members have the right to
   1. participate in the votes of the General Assembly,
   2. be elected as officials of the Learned Society in accordance with Art. VI,
   3. decide by choice on the officials of the Learned Society. composition of its Board and on membership issues,
   4. submit proposals to members of the Learned Society according to Art. Vl Section (1),
   5. decide by voting on proposals according to letter b) Section (1).
   6. pay the reimbursement of expenses according to § 3 Section 4 of the Act.
4. In addition to Section (1), foreign members have the right to
   1. participate in the votes of the General Assembly.
   2. decide by choice on the officials of the Learned Society. composition of its Board and on membership issues.
   3. submit proposals to members of the Learned Society according to Art. VlI Section (1),
   4. decide by voting on proposals according to letter b) Section (1).

Art. IX
Financial security of the Learned Society

The costs of the activities of the Learned Society are reimbursed from the item set aside for the relevant year in the budget of the Academy in accordance with the Statute of the Academy.

Art. X Organizational security of the Learned Society

1. The official seat of the Learned Society is the Office of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Štefánikova 49, 814 38 Bratislava.
2. The administrative activities of the Learned Society are provided by the Secretariat of the Learned Society, which is located at the workplace of the President of the Learned Society, until the establishment of a permanent Secretariat of the Learned Society at the Office of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
3. At the request of the officials of the Learned Society, the organizational units of the Office of the Slovak Academy of Sciences shall provide an advisory service and the necessary assistance.

Art. XI Final provisions

1. The Statute of the Learned Society is approved by the Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences on the proposal of the General Assembly.
2. The provisions of the Statute of the Academy shall apply mutatis mutandis to the activities of the Learned Society (Art. 21 -Voting, Art. 22 – Academic symbols and other).
3. The Learned Society has its own logo.
4. The Statute of the Learned Society, as amended, was approved by the Scientific Council of the Academy on 19. 9. 2018 and entered into force on the day of approval.

prof RNDr. Pavol Šajgalík, DrSc., President of the Scientific Board of the Slovak Academy of Sciences