CAPS (Consortium of Asia-Pacific Studies)

The Consortium for Asia-Pacific Scholars (CAPS) stands as a beacon of collaboration and excellence in the Asia-Pacific region, fostering scholarly exchange and advancing knowledge across diverse disciplines. CAPS promotes non-partisan and independent discussion on the Asia-Pacific region. Central to CAPS’ success is its robust governance structure, which integrates multiple layers of participation and decision-making. This structure is anchored by three key components: the Steering Committee, the Convening Committee, and the General Membership. Together, these entities form a cohesive framework that guides CAPS’ activities, promotes inclusivity, and ensures alignment with the organization’s mission and objectives.

The CAPS Governance Structure

The governance model of CAPS is structured as follows:

The Steering Committee serves as the principal governing body of CAPS, responsible for setting overall strategic direction, overseeing organizational policies, and providing leadership in advancing CAPS’ mission and objectives. Comprising eminent scholars, experts, and thought leaders from diverse fields and regions within the Asia-Pacific. It is based on three portfolios; the President, Senior Vice President, and three Vice Presidents. 

The Convening Committee serves as a key operational body within CAPS, responsible for organizing conferences, symposia, workshops, and other scholarly events that facilitate dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among members and stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region. The convening committee is based on the portfolios of the Secretary, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, Finance Secretary, and an Organizing team headed by the Chief Organizer.

General Members are based on the broader community of scholars, researchers, practitioners, and university students that form the foundation of CAPS’ network. General Members actively contribute to CAPS’ mission through participation in events, collaborations, and knowledge-sharing activities, enriching the collective expertise and resources available to the organization.

The CAPS Steering Committee

The CAPS Steering Committee is comprised of the President, Senior Vice President, and three Vice Presidents. 

Criteria and Qualifications for CAPS Steering committee members are given below:

• Members must have PhD degree with a minimum of 5 years of research and teaching experience. 
• Members should have published 5 articles in internationally recognized journals. 
• Members should have served a minimum of one term as members of the Convening Committee. 

Responsibilities of Steering Committee

The Steering Committee develops and implements strategic plans to guide CAPS’ activities, ensuring alignment with the organization’s overarching goals and priorities.

It formulates and reviews organizational policies, ensuring adherence to best practices, ethical standards, and relevant regulations.

The Steering Committee oversees resource allocation, including fund generation and membership fees, and other forms of support, to facilitate CAPS’ operations and initiatives effectively.

It identifies and fosters partnerships with institutions, organizations, and stakeholders to enhance collaboration, leverage expertise, and maximize impact across the Asia-Pacific scholarly community.

The Steering Committee conducts regular evaluations and assessments of CAPS’ activities, monitoring progress towards established goals and making necessary adjustments to enhance effectiveness and relevance.

CAPS Convening Committee

Criteria and Qualification for CAPS Convening committee members are given below:

• Members must have a Master’s degree in the relevant subjects.
• Members should be general members of CAPS for 3 years to be eligible for elections and membership of the Convening Committee.

Responsibilities of Steering Committee

The Convening Committee sets the agenda of the meeting and presents it to the Steering Committee for approval.

The Convening Committee plans, organizes, and coordinates CAPS events, ensuring their alignment with the organization’s strategic priorities, thematic focus areas, and audience needs.

The Convening Committee plans the events of CAPS for the next six months.

The Convening Committee arranges the fortnightly meeting of CAPS.

It collaborates with CAPS members, partners, and external experts to develop compelling and innovative programmatic content for CAPS’ events, addressing emerging issues, trends, and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific scholarly community.

The Convening Committee fosters active engagement and participation among event attendees, facilitating networking opportunities, interactive sessions, and discussions that promote knowledge sharing, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community building.

It manages logistical arrangements, venue selection, budgeting, and other operational aspects of CAPS’ events, ensuring seamless execution and a positive experience for all participants.

The Convening Committee collects feedback and evaluates the impact of CAPS events, identifying areas for improvement, innovation, and future programming initiatives.

The CAPS General Members

General Members are based on the broader community of scholars, researchers, practitioners, and university students.

Criteria and Qualifications for CAPS general membership are given below:

• Members must be students of university.
• Members must have degrees in disciplines of; Political Science, International Relations, Strategic Studies, and Economics with a keen interest in areas like; Asia-Pacific and Great Power competition.
• The members from of diplomatic community are also eligible for general membership.
• Members from foreign universities with an interest in Asia-Pacific regions are also eligible for general membership.

General Composition

• The portfolios of both bodies of CAPS are filled through nomination for the first two years term. 
• After two years, the portfolios will be filled through votes of both bodies and general members. 
• One can hold the office of CAPS for two consecutive terms but there should be a gap of one term to hold the same office. 

Funding of CAPS

The funds for CAPS would be self-generated by its members.

The governance structure of the Consortium for Asia-Pacific Scholars (CAPS), characterized by the Steering Committee, Convening Committee, and General Membership, exemplifies principles of inclusivity, collaboration, and excellence in advancing scholarly exchange and collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region. Through strategic leadership, effective governance, and active engagement, CAPS continues to serve as a dynamic platform for fostering dialogue, knowledge sharing, and interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars, researchers, and practitioners committed to addressing pressing challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific context.