Bill of Rights for Graduate Students of Ajou University

Section I. General

Article 1 (Purpose)

The purpose of this Bill of Rights is to protect the sacrosanct, basic human rights of all members of graduate schools and the greater academic community and contribute to the realization of human dignity and values by strengthening such protection.

Article 2 (Basic principles)

1. Graduate students have the right to be respected as members of the academic community.
2. Graduate students have the right to study and conduct their research in a safe environment that is free from all kinds of physical, verbal, and sexual violence.
3. Graduate students shall not be discriminated against based on gender, education, nationality, age, disability, religion, political disposition, or other social categories.

Section II. Rights of Graduate Students

Article 3 (Right of self-determination)

Graduate students shall have the freedom to lead a private life in which their studies and research do not take precedence over their right to pursue health, safety, marriage, maternity, and family life.

Article 4 (Right to study and conduct research)

1. Graduate students shall not be unfairly deprived of the opportunities to study and research that have been promised to them, and shall have the right to conduct their studies without being unduly interrupted until the completion of their degree courses.
2. Graduate students shall have the right to conduct their studies and research and receive professional training and mentoring in relation to their areas of specialization and research topics.
3. Graduate students shall have the right to use any research spaces and support facilities of the university that are necessary for their studies and research, contingent upon on the circumstances of the university.
4. Graduate students shall have the right to be evaluated the level of academic and research progress for master's and doctorate degrees according to objective standards.

Article 5 (Copyright)

1. Graduate students shall have the right to be recognized as co-authors of research publications to which they have made significant contributions through their sharing of research ideas, participation in research processes, etc.
2. Graduate students shall hold all copyrights as first authors of research publications on research results achieved based on their own initiative, creative ideas, and methodologies.

Article 6 (Right to fair assessment)

1. Graduate students shall have the right to fair assessments of their research results.
2. Each assessment criteria shall be concrete and objective, and the assessment process shall be transparent and fair.
3. Graduate students shall have the right to raise objections to any unfair assessments of their academic performance and research results and receive sufficient explanations for such assessments.

Article 7 (Right to participate in decision-making)

1. Graduate students shall have the right to participate in the process of establishing and implementing the rights specified under this Bill of Rights.
2. Graduate students shall have the right to organize and operate autonomous organizations of graduate school students and participate in the activities thereof.
3. Graduate students shall have the right to be informed of all details regarding decisions made by the graduate school in relation to their studies and research.

Article 8 (Rights of assistants)

In cases where graduate students are hired as assistants or researchers, the graduate school shall provide students with information on work hours and remuneration standards and shall observe such standards.

Section III. Protection of Graduate Students

Article 9 (Right to reject unfair work assignments)

Graduate students shall have the right to reject any unfair work assignments that are unrelated to their own education and research.

Article 10 (Right to have adviser replaced)

1. Advisers shall play a major role in guiding students in conducting their thesis and research work and shall instruct students sincerely.
2. In the event an adviser is unable to provide such instruction due to leave of absence, dispatch, or other reasons, the student concerned may have their adviser replaced.
3. In cases where a student wishes to have their adviser replaced due to reasons listed in Paragraph ② above or for other unavoidable reasons, and a department head acknowledges that said reasons are fair and reasonable, the student may directly submit an advisor replacement application to the department concerned themselves, without first obtaining prior confirmation from their adviser, and be formally assigned a new adviser after obtaining the approval of a dean (or a graduate school director, if the department concerned does not offer undergraduate courses).

Article 11 (Responsibilities as university members)

1. All members of graduate schools shall be responsible for recognizing, respecting, and observing all rights listed under this Bill of Rights.
2. As members of the academic community, graduate schools shall offer education on human rights, including the content of this Bill of Rights, on a regular basis.

Article 12 (Other rights)

The rights of graduate schools shall not be taken lightly as they are not provided for under this Bill of Rights.

Section IV. Responsibilities of Graduate Students

Article 13 (Responsibility for research and study)

1. Graduate students shall put in sufficient time and effort to earn their degrees and achieve research results.
2. Graduate students shall be aware of all requirements for earning their respective degree beforehand.
3. Graduate students shall observe the principles of research ethics in the course of earning their degree and conducting research.

Article 14 (Role as a member of the university)

1. As members of the university, graduate students shall understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities.
2. Graduate students shall be liable for any damages that occur as a result of their failure to follow the instructions of a professor in the course of earning their degree and conducting research.
3. Graduate students shall not infringe upon the rights of other graduate students with regard to all matters provided for under this Bill of Rights.
4. Graduate students shall recognize the contributions of professors and colleagues with regard to their research results, and shall have come to agreements with such professors and colleagues in this regard in the course of their research.