Constitution and by-laws of the Inter-University Centre of Postgraduate Studies in Dubrovnik (adopted in August 1971, amended in August 1993 and in October 2022)

Art. I

The objective of the Inter-University Centre of Postgraduate Studies in Dubrovnik (hereinafter referred to as the Centre) is to encourage and promote cooperation among universities through teaching and research.

The objective shall be realized primarily by organizing postgraduate research projects and study programmes in any field authorized by the Council of the Centre, based on the expressed interest of one or more member institutions and evidence of feasibility, both academic and financial.

Art. II

The Centre shall be a juridical person in accordance with Croatian law.

Art. III

Application for membership may be made by

• universities and other institutions of higher learning which possess such quality according to national laws or are recognized by appropriate accrediting bodies;
• university faculties, or university departments, or other formal units within a university;
• national and international interuniversity institutions

Initial membership of the Centre shall consist of the institutions invited directly or through their associations to the preliminary discussions held in Dubrovnik between 26 and 31 August 1971 which subsequently ratify the Draft Agreement. The Council of the Centre shall be responsible for admitting additional Members.

Membership of the Centre may be terminated by:

• request of the member in writing to the Council;
• action of the Council on the basis of criteria to be developed.

Art. IV

The Centre shall be administered by a Council and a Director General.

Art. V

The Council of the Centre shall consist of one representative of each member organization. The Director General is a member of the Council ex officio and shall serve as its secretary. If two or more units of the same university are members of the Centre, this university shall have only one vote in the Council meeting.

The Members appoint their representatives to the Council of the Centre for a two-year term, but they can be recalled and replaced before the expiration of the term. If a representative is unable to attend, the respective Member may send a substitute to meetings of the Council.

Being the policy-making body of the Centre, the Council is particularly responsible for the following acts and decisions:

• the Constitution of the Centre;
• admission of new Members;
• the establishment and development of particular fields of study and different forms of academic cooperation upon the recommendation of Academic Committees;
• the establishment and development of the library;
• the appointment of the Director General, the Deputy Director General, the Secretary of the Centre, and the members of Committees;
• decisions on budgetary matters;
• and other general acts of the Centre.

The Council shall elect a Chair from its own members and may elect an Executive Committee to consist of five members to act on behalf of the Council on such matters as referred to it by the Council between Council meetings. These elections shall be made for a five-year term. Expenses of the Executive Committee in their official capacity shall be the responsibility of the Centre. The Director General shall serve ex officio on the Executive Committee.

Art. VI

A Director General shall be appointed by the Council for a five-year term and may be reappointed.

A Deputy Director General may be appointed to assist the Director General and to act on his behalf during his absence.

The Director General is responsible for the functioning of the Centre and for providing continuity in its activity. The Director General is responsible for submitting to the Council for its approval an annual report and accounts, an annual programme, and an annual budget.

Art. VII

The Council shall decide all questions on the basis of a majority of the members participating and voting in the Council meeting, physically or online, except in the adoption and amendment of the present Constitution of the organization, which shall require a majority of the total membership of the Council.

A quorum shall be constituted by fifty percent of the membership or twenty voting Members whichever shall be less. If decisions of the Council involve obligations for members each Member can be obligated only by its own consent.

Art. VIII 

Academic and other committees, when necessary, shall be established by the Council and the Director General, and responsible to the Council.

The Council shall define the functions of each committee and appoint its members. Candidates may be proposed to the Council by Members of the Centre. The members of the committees shall continue to discharge their duties until they are recalled, or they resign, or they are incapacitated.

Academic Committees may propose to the Council the establishing of programmes of studies and different forms of research work. On request of the Council, the Director General, or on their own initiative they may express their opinion on all questions falling within the activity of the Centre.

Art. IX

The financing of the Centre shall be decided upon by a general act of the Centre. The Centre’s funds include the contributions of members appropriate to the expenditure occasioned by the coming of their representatives, academic staff and students to Dubrovnik and by their work related to the Centre and grants from foundations and other bodies.

A special budget shall be established for each postgraduate study in accordance with the decision of the Council of the Centre.

The University of Zagreb shall be responsible for ensuring of academic and administrative accommodation and the administrative personnel necessary for the existence of the Centre, but may terminate or amend this obligation on one year’s notice to the Council.

Art. X

The Director General is assisted in the performance of his functions by a Secretariat which includes

• the administrative office;
• the library and documentation service;
• the financial and procurement division.

The Secretary of the Centre is the head of the Secretariat and is responsible to the Director General.

Art. XI

Disputes which may arise in connection with the work of the Centre fall within the jurisdiction of Croatian courts, and are to be resolved according to Croatian law and the Constitution of the Centre.

Art. XII

For legal purposes, the Croatian and English texts of this Constitution are equally authentic. Authenticated translations will be provided in other appropriate languages.

BY-LAWS

of the Inter-University Centre of Post-Graduate Studies in Dubrovnik

(Amended on 11 October 1998, on 29 September 2007, and 1 October 2022)

According to Art. V, para 3, item 7 of the Constitution

Article 1

(Art. I of the Constitution)

(1) The Inter-University Centre of Post-Graduate Studies (hereinafter referred to as the Inter-University Centre) operates from a co-ordinating headquaters in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

(2) In order to encourage and organize post-graduate study programmes and research projects the Director General is authorized to issue, after consultation with the Executive Committee, guidelines for courses and projects.

Article 2

(Art. IV of the Constitution)

The Inter-University Centre shall be administered by the Council, the Executive Committee, and the Director General.

Article 3

(Art. V and VII of the Constitution)

(1) The Council shall elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair from the representatives of member institutions.

(2) The Chair of the Council shall convene the Council within five years of the previous meeting. The invitation shall be sent six weeks prior to the meeting with the agenda attached after the date of the meeting has been announced at least three months in advance. The Chair may change the announced meeting date by giving a sound reason in writing.

(3) The Chair of the Council is obliged to convene the Council at the written request of the Director General and two thirds of the members of the Executive Committee or at the written request of twenty members duly signed by the head of the institution. Para 2 clause 2 applies.

(4) All decisions, elections and appointments falling within the competence of the Council may be carried out by written ballot. The Chair of the Council, after consultation with the Executive Committee, is responsible for voting procedure, including a statement of the result.

(5) A quorum of twenty members may be established by fifteen members present in case that five of them are authorized each by one proxy to represent, and vote on behalf of, a member which had paid its annual membership contribution for the ongoing or the last fiscal year.

Article 4

(Art. V of the Constitution)

(1) Between Council meetings the Executive Committee acts on any policy matter of importance for the Inter-University Centre, in particular  on:

1. the annual academic programme and budget on submission by the Director General;
2. the annual report and accounts to be submitted by the Director General;
3. the financial report of the auditor;
4. agreements and contracts of co-operation with other institutions;
5. the provisional admission of new members;
6. the suspension of membership according to art. 7;
7. any policy matter referred to it by the Council or the Director General.

(2) The Council shall elect five members and two deputy members to the Executive Committee. The Director General shall serve ex officio on the Executive Committee.

(3) The Executive Committee is entitled to coopt up to as many members and deputy members as to be elected by the Council provided that the additions to the Committee is deemed necessary to secure continuity of its mandate between Council meetings.

(4) The Executive Committee is entitled to take decisions by written ballot provided that a two-third majority of its members agrees to the procedure.

Article 5

(Art. VI of the Constitution)

• The Director General shall be appointed by the Council for a five-year term and may be reappointed at the next Council meeting.

(2) The Deputy Director General shall be appointed by the Council to assist the Director General and to act on his behalf during this absence. Para I applies for the term of office. The Council may appoint two Deputies of the Director General; the Director General shall define their mandate.

Article 6

(Art. V and VI of the Constitution)

(1) Each body of the IUC remains in office until a new election or a new appointment has been carried out and declared valid and successful.

(2) In case the Director General, the Deputy Director General, the Executive Committee, or its members are unable to act, the Chair  of the Council is authorized to take appropriate action on behalf of the Council. The action to be taken must be directed to providing operational, academic, legal and financial continuity for the activities of the Centre. It must be restricted to an appropriate time, at the most until the next scheduled Council meeting.

Article 7

(Art. III of the Constitution)

(1) Membership of the Inter-University Centre is granted by the Council; provisional membership may be granted by the Executive Committee.

(2) Membership of the Inter-University Centre may be suspended by the Executive Committee and terminated by the Council:

1. on request of the member in writing to the Chair of the Council or to the Director General;
2. if a member no longer possesses the quality of a university or other institution of higher learning according to their national legislative or is no longer recognized by appropriate accrediting bodies;
3. if a member neither paid its annual membership fee nor contributed to the activities of the Inter-University Centre for three consecutive years, having been duly notified.

(3) The Council may grant, on proposal of a committee of three senior members, the status of an “HonoraryMember of the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik” to individual persons who have participated in creating, developing and securing the Centre’s mission by long-standing successful devotion and exceptional academic achievements or highly respected leadership.

Article 8

(Art. VIII of the Constitution)

Academic and other committees, when necessary, shall be established by the Council and the Director General or by the Executive Committee and the Director General. Such committees are responsible to the body which has established them.

Article 9

(Art. IX of the Constitution)

An auditor shall be appointed by the Council or, if necessary between Council meetings, by the Executive Committee.

Article 10

(Art. XI of the Constitution)

Disputes which may arise in connection with the work of the Inter-University Centre fall within the jurisdiction of Croatian courts, and are to be resolved according to Croatian law, the Constitution of the Inter-University Centre, and these By-laws.

Article 11

These by-laws have been adopted by the Council at its Eleventh Meeting on May 4-5, 1996.