TERMS OF USE

NIMS Alumni Network Website Terms of Use

  • Article 1. General Provisions

    1. These Terms of Use stipulate the necessary matters regarding the use of the NIMS Alumni Network Website (hereinafter referred to as “the Site”), which is operated by the International Support Office of the Division of International Collaborations and Public Relations of the National Institute for Materials Science (hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”), for the purpose of promoting communication and strengthening cooperation between the Institute and individuals who have been affiliated the Institute.
    2. The Institute may change the provisions of these Terms of Use at any time without obtaining the prior consent of the Members.
    3. In accordance with the preceding paragraph, when these Terms of Use are changed, the Institute shall publish the relevant changes in a designated location or notify the Members of such changes.

  • Article 2. Definitions

    The definitions of the terms listed below in these Terms of Use shall be as specified in each item.

    1. “the Site” refers to the website called “NIMS Alumni Network” (NIMS Alumni Network: alumni.nims.go.jp) operated by the Institute.
    2. “the Service” refers to all services provided through the Site.
    3. “Member” refers to an individual who has been approved for membership registration to use the Service.
    4. “Posting” refers to the act of uploading information to the Service by a Member whose registration has been approved.
    5. “Administrator” refers to the individual or division designated by the Institute to be responsible for operating and managing the Site and the Service.

  • Article 3. Membership Registration Application

    1. Individuals eligible to apply for the Service are former staff members who were assigned a staff ID by the Institute during their tenure or are still assigned a staff ID after resignation.
    2. Persons wishing to use the Service shall apply for membership registration on the Site.
    3. The Institute shall confirm the applicant’s record of tenure at the Institute and approve the registration accordingly.
    4. Even if an individual applies for membership registration as stated in the preceding paragraph, the Institute may deny registration if it determines that approval as a Member is not appropriate.

  • Article 4. Member Consent

    By agreeing to these Terms of Use, Members consent to the Institute’s use of their staff ID for personal authentication, and to the provisions described in these Terms of Use, the NIMS Alumni Network Privacy Policy, the “Site Policy” posted on the official homepage of the Institute, and the NIMS Alumni Network Members Forum Posting Guidelines

  • Article 5. Activities of This Site

    1. This site may provide the following services to Members.
      1. Provision of Institute news, event information, recruitment information, and other information to Members
      2. Provision of Member information search functions and opportunities for mutual exchange among Members
      3. Provision of bulletin board functions (including topic creation functions)
      4. Provision of other services necessary to achieve the purposes of this Site

  • Article 6. Use and Moderation of the Bulletin Board Function

    1. When a Member creates a topic using the bulletin board function, the Member agrees that their name or handle name and the content of their post will be disclosed to other registered Members. However, the items to be disclosed will be clearly indicated on the posting screen or elsewhere.
    2. Members may only create topics in the bulletin board function and are not permitted to post comments.
    3. When posting to the bulletin board, Members must comply with applicable laws and these Terms of Use, and are solely responsible for their posts.
    4. Administrators may carry out moderation of posted content (review, deletion, etc.) at any time in order to ensure the proper operation of the bulletin board function.
    5. If a Member violates laws, these Terms of Use, NIMS Alumni Network Members Forum Posting Guidelines, infringes the rights of others, or engages in defamation or similar acts using the bulletin board function, the administrator may, depending on the nature of the act, take the following measures:
      1. Edit, hide, or delete posts
      2. Issue a warning to the Member
      3. Restrict or temporarily suspend the Member’s topic creation privileges on the bulletin board, or suspend or revoke their membership
    6. If a Member determines that there is a violation of laws or these Terms of Use, excessive disclosure of personal information, infringement of the rights of others, or defamation, etc., in the bulletin board function, the Member may report such content to the Administrator in accordance with the method prescribed by the Institute.
    7. When the Administrator takes the measures described in Paragraph 5, they shall promptly notify the Member concerned of the action taken and the reason for it. However, this may not apply in cases requiring urgency or other unavoidable circumstances.
    8. A Member may file an objection to the measures taken by the Administrator under Paragraph 5, by the method prescribed by the Institute, within three months from the date of receipt of the notification described in the preceding paragraph.
    9. If an objection is filed in accordance with the preceding paragraph, the Administrator shall review the content of the objection and notify the Member of the results.

  • Article 7. Protection of Personal Information

    The Institute shall appropriately handle Members’ personal information related to this service in accordance with the NIMS Alumni Network Privacy Policy and the Institute’s Personal Information Protection Regulations.

  • Article 8. Precautions for Member Registration and Use

    1. The Institute shall provide the services specified in Article 5 to Members based on the information registered by the Members themselves.
    2. In principle, the Institute will not be involved in communications or activities between Members. Any disputes between Members or between Members and third parties shall be resolved by the parties involved, and the Institute shall not assume any responsibility except in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence on the part of the Institute.
    3. The Institute shall not be liable for any disadvantages or damages arising from the misuse of login IDs or passwords by third parties.
    4. Members shall make efforts to post, register, confirm, or update accurate information on their own, and when viewing information, they shall judge the reliability and use it at their own responsibility.
    5. Members shall take appropriate measures for the storage and handling of their login IDs and passwords on their own, and shall not allow third parties to use, transfer, or lend them.

  • Article 9. Withdrawal from Membership

    1. Members may withdraw from this service by notifying the Institute in the manner prescribed by the Institute.
    2. If a Member passes away, they shall be deemed to have withdrawn from this service.

  • Article 10. Prohibited Acts

    1. In order for Members to use this site beneficially, the following acts are prohibited:
      • Acts that violate laws or regulations, as well as acts that solicit or encourage such violations
      • Acts contrary to public order, morals, or common sense
      • Acts that disadvantage other Members, third parties, or the Institute
      • Acts that place a burden on the server or interfere with other Members' access or operations
      • Acts that impede the operation of this Site or the network/system
      • Acts that infringe upon the honor, trust, privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, portrait rights, intellectual property rights, or any other rights of others
      • Acts of transmitting or posting false information, or altering or deleting information related to this service
      • Publishing expressions that lead to discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, age, ideology, creed, etc.
      • Acts of impersonating someone other than oneself, or permitting individuals or organizations other than the registered member to use the service
      • Providing false information (including personal information) to the Institute
      • Collecting or storing personal information of other Members
      • Unauthorized reproduction, uploading, posting, distribution, etc. of content from this site
      • Sending commercial advertisements or promotional content, spam email, chain email, or other solicitation-related information to other Members
      • Other acts that the Institute deems inappropriate
    2. Members may report to the Institute if they discover any prohibited acts specified in the preceding items, or acts likely to constitute such prohibited acts.
    3. If any of the acts stipulated in paragraph 1 are confirmed, the Institute may take measures, including restricting all or part of the service, changing or deleting registration information, or suspending or expelling membership, without prior notice to the Member.
    4. When the Administrator takes the measures described in the preceding paragraph, they shall promptly notify the member concerned of the action taken and the reason for it. However, this may not apply in cases requiring urgency or other unavoidable circumstances.
    5. A Member may object to the Administrator's actions based on the provisions of paragraph 3 by the method specified by the Institute, within three months from the date of receipt of the notice described in the preceding paragraph.
    6. If an objection is filed in accordance with the preceding paragraph, the Administrator shall review the content of the objection and notify the member of the result.

  • Article 11. Copyright

    1. Members shall acknowledge in advance that the copyright of information (hereinafter referred to as “the Information”), including images, audio, text, and illustrations transmitted or provided by the Institute through this service, belongs to the Institute or to third parties who have provided such Information to the Institute.
    2. Members shall not transfer the Information transmitted or provided by the Institute through this service to third parties, nor publish it on websites accessible to the general public or similar platforms.

  • Article 12. Usage Fees

    The use of this service is free of charge. However, Members shall be responsible for preparing, at their own expense, any equipment or means of communication necessary to use the service.

  • Article 13. Compensation for Damages

    If a Member violates these Terms of Use or any laws and causes damage to the Institute, the Institute may claim compensation for damages from the Member.

  • Article 14. Suspension, Modification, or Termination of the Service

    1. The Institute may suspend, modify, or terminate all or part of the service without notice to Members or without obtaining prior consent from Members.
    2. The Institute shall not be liable for any disadvantages or damages incurred by Members due to the suspension, modification, or termination mentioned in the preceding paragraph, except in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence by the Institute.

  • Article 15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    1. These Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws of Japan.
    2. Members agree that the Mito District Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction as the court of first instance for all disputes arising from or related to these Terms of Use.

  • Article 16. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

    The Institute does not engage in any automated decision-making or profiling involving Members’ personal data in connection with the provision of the Services.

  • These Terms of Use shall take effect from April 1, 2022.
    Revised on April 1, 2026.