About HKADH

The Hong Kong Association for Digital Humanities (HKADH) is a non-profit, non-political scholarly organisation promoting digital humanities in the Hong Kong SAR. The Association is dedicated to integrating digital technologies into various humanities disciplines as well as fostering understanding of society’s digital transformation through a humanities lens. HKADH also offers guidance and recommendations on incorporating the digital humanities into secondary and higher education and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration.

HKADH aspires to position Hong Kong as a global hub for digital humanities research and education. By hosting conferences, workshops, and events, HKADH offers platforms for academics, practitioners, and students to share methodologies and insights.

By cultivating international partnerships and a vibrant scholarly community, HKADH ensures that the humanities thrive in the digital age. Our mission is to ensure that Hong Kong plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of this dynamic field, promoting collaboration and innovation at both local and international levels.

As of December 2024, HKADH is in the process of being formally registered as a non-profit academic organisation in Hong Kong SAR.

HKADH Constitution

Preamble

The Association shall be called the Hong Kong Association for Digital Humanities, or HKADH (hereafter, the Association).
The Association aims to advance research and education in the digital humanities. This involves incorporating computational methods into the arts, humanities, and closely related disciplines, as well as exploring the digital transformation of society and culture from a humanities perspective.
The Association shall advocate for and offer guidance on the effective integration of digital humanities into higher education institutions in Hong Kong.
The Association shall strive to establish Hong Kong as a leading digital humanities hub in Asia and globally.

Membership

Membership shall be open to all persons, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, on payment of an annual subscription, which shall be determined from time to time by the Executive Committee. The annual subscription shall be due on the date of membership activation.
Members will enjoy the privilege of participating in seminars, workshops, and other activities at discounted rates.
Regular membership is limited to scholars and students who are normally resident in of Hong Kong. An associate membership is available to scholars and students outside of Hong Kong. The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, confer honorary membership on persons who have rendered distinguished service to the Association, and other persons of distinction in the field of digital humanities.
As of November 2024, the annual membership fee is set at $600 Hong Kong dollars for academics holding a Ph.D. Undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible for a reduced annual fee of $350 Hong Kong dollars.
The membership fee will support HKADH’s operating costs, including conferences, workshops, and travel costs and honoraria for distinguished speakers.
The HKADH Director of Finance will oversee the funds with full transparency.
Any changes to HKADH membership categories, fees, or fund allocation must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the HKADH Executive Committee.
The Association shall publish and make a copy of this Constitution available to every member upon request.

General Meetings

The Association shall, in each calendar year, hold an Annual General Meeting at such time and place as the Executive Committee shall decide. Not less than four weeks’ notice shall be given of the Annual General Meeting.
Other General Meetings may be called by the Executive Committee, or by the written request of not less than twenty members. Not less than three weeks’ notice shall be given of other General Meetings.

Votes

Each individual regular member shall be entitled to one vote.
Associate members shall not possess voting rights.
Honorary members shall not possess voting rights.

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be constituted by voting members of the Association.
The Executive Committee shall oversee the management of the Association.
The Executive Committee shall consist of: (1) a President who also serves as the Executive Director, (2) a Director of Administration & Membership, (3) a Director of Finance, (4) a Director of Events, (5) a Director of Social Impact, (6) a Director of Special Interest Groups, and, when applicable, (7) a President Emeritus.
The President (Executive Director) provides overall leadership to the Association, ensuring alignment with its mission and objectives.
The Director of Administration & Membership: This role manages the Association’s administrative functions, including maintaining records and coordinating internal communications, as well as oversees membership applications, renewals, and engagement to ensure a growing and active community.
The Director of Finance is responsible for managing HKADH’s financial resources and membership fees with full transparency, including budgeting, expense tracking, and reporting.
The Director of Events oversees the planning and execution of HKADH’s events, including conferences, workshops, seminars, and various programs that reflect the Association’s mission.
The Director of Social Impact promotes initiatives that enhance the Association’s societal contributions, such as community outreach and public engagement.
The Director of Special Interest Groups coordinates the activities of HKADH’s subcommittees and interest groups, fostering collaboration on specialised topics.
The President Emeritus provides institutional knowledge and guidance to ensure leadership continuity and serves as a mentor to the incoming President and Executive Committee members during their transition period.
Elections to the Executive Committee shall be conducted by remote electronic vote. Vacancies on the Executive Committee for each year shall be filled by election and the result declared at the Annual General Meeting. Any voting member of the Association may be nominated for election to the Executive Committee. Nominations must carry a statement from the nominee confirming their willingness to serve and must be supported by two voting members of the Association other than the nominee. Nominations shall reach the Secretary on or before the published deadline for nominations, which shall be no less than eight weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
Elected members of the Executive Committee shall normally serve for two years. Retiring members shall be eligible for immediate re-election for one further period of two years. Former members of the Executive Committee may only be elected again under this process after a period of at least one year has elapsed since their last retirement or resignation from the Executive Committee.
The retiring President will serve on the Executive Committee for an additional year as President Emeritus. In this role, the President Emeritus will provide guidance and institutional knowledge to the new President and other Executive Committee members to ensure continuity and smooth leadership transitions by supporting and mentoring the incoming leadership team.
In the event of the resignation of any elected member of the Executive Committee, the resulting vacancy shall be filled at the subsequent Annual General Meeting. In the interim, the Executive Committee shall nominate and assign an acting member to fulfil the responsibilities of the vacant role.
The Executive Committee may remove any of its members before the expiration of their tenure if at least two-thirds of the Executive Committee members approve the decision.

Accounts

The balance sheet and income and expenditure account of the Association, duly scrutinised in accordance with the laws governing Hong Kong charities, shall be drawn up annually and shall be published by the Association and a copy shall be made available to every member on request.

General

The Executive Committee may set up Subcommittees and Special Interest Groups at its discretion to further the objects of the Association.
The income and property of the Association shall be applied solely towards the promotion and objects of the Association, as set forth in this Constitution, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus, or otherwise by way of profits to Members of the Association.
The Association shall be committed to upholding anti-discrimination principles. The President, the Executive Committee, and all members are expected to create a welcoming environment, promote diverse membership, and ensure fair opportunities for everyone to participate and lead, across all backgrounds, regardless of sex/gender, race/ethnicity, disability, and family status. The President and the Executive Committee shall integrate anti-discrimination principles into their decisions, policies, and activities to build a supportive and collegial community within the Association.

Changes to the Constitution

In exceptional circumstances and where it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Association, the Executive Committee may propose to introduce changes to the Constitution with the approval of a two-thirds majority of voting members of the Association at an Annual General Meeting.

Dissolution

If, after dissolving the Association and paying off all debts and liabilities, there remains any property left, it should not be distributed among the members of the Association. Instead, it should be given or transferred to another charitable organization or organizations with similar goals to the Association. This new organization must also prohibit distributing its income and property among its members. The specific organization to receive the property will be decided by the Association’s members at or before the time of dissolution. If it’s not possible to follow this provision, the remaining property should go to a charitable cause.