Guidelines for Domestic Compliance and Practical Implementation of Academic-Technical Collaboration Partnerships

I. General Partner Eligibility Criteria

Technical collaboration onboarding focuses on whether the meeting has academic and public welfare attributes and whether all parties' qualifications comply. There are three prerequisite categories.

(I) Requirements for the conference's public welfare and academic attributes

Meetings should primarily aim to facilitate academic exchange and knowledge dissemination, featuring clear scholarly topics and expert review. They must not be driven by commercial sales or profit motives. Purely profit-oriented commercial conferences, investment promotion exhibitions, and business training seminars generally do not meet eligibility criteria.

(II) Organizer Compliance and Qualification Requirements

The conference organizer must be a legally registered entity whose business scope includes organizing conferences and academic exchanges. It must be capable of independently assuming legal and financial responsibilities for the conference and possess the necessary capacity to organize it.

(3) Qualification Requirements for PCO Agency Undertaking

PCOs handling conferences must hold valid business licenses and possess conference management capabilities, maintain standardized financial systems with corporate bank accounts, and execute agreements for event delivery, expense settlement, and invoice issuance. All submitted materials must be authentic, complete, and valid; providing false documentation will result in immediate application rejection.

II. General Cooperation Process

Partnerships typically follow a standardized workflow: review qualifications, sign agreements, process payments, then deliver licenses. Online processing is now the mainstream approach.

Step 1: Submit qualification application

The organizer submits the conference's basic information, qualification documents for all parties, the conference proposal, academic agenda, and list of the academic committee members via the online channel. Applications are processed immediately upon submission of all required materials; incomplete submissions will be returned with a deadline for correction.

Step 2: Academic Qualification Review

The brand reviews the conference's academic positioning, agenda setup, expert composition, and participant qualifications, with a focus on verifying academic integrity and material authenticity. The standard processing time ranges from several business days to a few weeks, depending on public notice timelines; if corrections are required, the timeline will be extended accordingly.

Step 3: Sign Agreement

After approval, both parties shall sign a written agreement specifying the authorized name, scope and duration of use, fee standards, boundaries of rights and responsibilities, quality control measures, and breach handling procedures. The agreement may be executed electronically or in paper form, with each party retaining an original copy.

Step 4: Settlement of Partnership Fees

The organizer shall make payment via a corporate bank account in accordance with the agreement, adhering to the principle of "sign the agreement first, then pay." The amount and milestones are subject to the terms specified in the agreement.

Step 5: Authorize Material Delivery

Upon receipt of funds, the brand party shall deliver the authorized name usage guidelines, branding materials, and academic guidance documents as agreed. The organizing party shall conduct activities within the scope of authorization.

III. General Principles of Rights and Responsibilities Allocation

(I) Rights and Responsibilities of Academic Brand Partners

Brand sponsor responsibilities typically cover three areas: (1) academic brand licensing, permitting use of their name and logo within agreed scope and duration; (2) academic quality oversight, reviewing and guiding agendas, peer review processes, and publication standards; (3) academic resource support, providing access to expert networks and peer review criteria. Brand sponsors do not assume responsibility for conference operations, on-site execution, attendee management, or financial outcomes.

(II) Responsibilities and Authority of the Meeting Organizer (PCO/Host)

The organizer is solely responsible for all conference execution, on-site operations, attendee services, sponsorship and exhibition recruitment, regulatory compliance, safety assurance, and assumes full financial liability and legal responsibility for all operational outcomes. The organizer must strictly use the brand name within the authorized scope and shall not exceed the time limit or scope of authorization, nor re-authorize without permission.

IV. Key Compliance Points for Domestic Partnerships

(I) Corporate Settlement Requirements

Cooperation fees must be settled via corporate bank transfers to ensure consistency across the contract, fund, and invoice flows. Personal accounts, cash, or other non-corporate channels are prohibited to guarantee full fund traceability.

(II) VAT Invoice Issuance Rules

The payee must issue a VAT invoice that matches the actual transaction in accordance with applicable laws. The project details and amounts must align with the agreement and payment records. Issuing false, incorrect, or non-compliant invoices is prohibited.

(3) Compliance of Domestic Contracting

Cooperate only with qualified entities within China under a written agreement that complies with domestic laws and clearly defines rights and responsibilities.

As long as contracting, settlement, and invoicing are completed in compliance within China, it constitutes a normal domestic business collaboration and does not inherently possess foreign attributes simply due to the involvement of an academic brand.

(4) Standard Implementation Without Cross-Border Payments

When the brand has a local legal entity to handle the partnership, all steps—including application, signing, settlement, invoicing, and material delivery—can be completed domestically in one place. Typically, no cross-border payments or foreign exchange procedures are required. It's a common misconception that "academic co-organizer" payments to overseas entities must go through foreign exchange channels. Cross-border status depends on the actual contracting and payment recipients, not the title.

V. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How is a public welfare academic conference defined?

The general standard is that a conference should primarily serve academic exchange, feature an academic agenda and expert review process, and not be driven by profit or product sales. Whether an event qualifies as non-profit depends on its actual substance, not whether the name includes the term "non-profit."

Question 2: How should the authorization name be used correctly?

Use the full name, scope, and duration as agreed in the agreement. Do not abbreviate, modify, expand the scope, or use for other activities. Authorization terminates after the event.

Question 3: What are the common reasons for audit rejection?

Includes insufficient academic or public benefit attributes, non-compliant organizer or PCO qualifications, incomplete or inaccurate agenda and Academic Committee materials, and misalignment between the conference positioning and the sponsor's academic direction.

Question 4: What is the scope of use for brand authorization?

This license is limited to materials and scenarios specific to this event, such as promotional assets, notices, calls for papers, venue setup, and conference documents. It may not be used to sponsor other events, promote commercial products, or sublicense to third parties.

Question 5: How is quality control managed after the partnership is established?

Brand sponsors continuously monitor compliance through agenda review, manuscript evaluation and publishing guideline guidance, random checks during the event, and post-event verification. If deviations from agreed terms or academic misconduct are identified, they may require corrective action up to termination of authorization in accordance with the agreement.