Privacy Policy EURAXESS Switzerland

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains the reason for the processing, the way we collect, handle and ensure protection of all personal data provided, how that information is used and what rights you may exercise in relation to your data (the right to access, rectify, block etc.).

This policy concerns the EURAXESS Switzerland network and the website www.euraxess.ch (hereinaf-ter referred to as “website”). EURAXESS Switzerland is part of the European EURAXESS-Researchers in Motion Portal, a joint initiative of the European Commission and its members states and associated countries. It is co-funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI and the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Higher Education Institutions, hereinafter referred to as either “we” or “swissuniversities”.

swissuniversities acts as the Swiss EURAXESS Bridgehead Organisation and Editor and Publisher of this website.

2. Data processing

Who is responsible processing your data?

Data processing in connection with EURAXESS Switzerland and the website is carried out by swissuniversities in its role as the Swiss EURAXESS Bridgehead Organisation. swissuniversities processes your personal data confidentially and in compliance with statutory data protection regulations and with this Privacy Policy. For any questions relating to data processing, you can reach us here:

swissuniversities
Data Protection
EURAXESS Switzerland
Effingerstrasse 15, PO Box
CH-3001 Bern
Switzerland
E-mail: datenschutz@swissuniversities.ch

Please note: The welcome page (“EURAXESS Home”) as well as the parts “Information & Assistance” and “Switzerland Network” are provided and maintained by swissuniversities. All other parts of the web-site are provided by the European Commission. Concerning those data processings, we kindly refer to the Privacy Statement of EURAXESS of the European Commission. We are only responsible for the data processing mentioned in this Privacy Policy.

Whose personal data do we process?

This Privacy Policy concerns the following categories of data subjects:
• visitors of our website;
• members of the EURAXESS Switzerland network and affiliated contacts.

All data is collected directly from you. Some data you provide to us directly, for example when you contact us via email. Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website (i.e. technical information, IP-address etc.).

Why do we process your data?

EURAXESS Switzerland including the website aim at facilitating the mobility of researches in the European Research Area and beyond. We mainly process your data to reach that goal. To be able to provide this service we process data in order to:

communicate with you. In doing so, we use various means of communication such as e-mail, telephone incl. software for video telephony, social media channels and letter. In this context, we process in particular the content of the communication, your contact details and the relevant information about the communication. This also includes possible image and sound recordings of video or telephone calls based on your consent.
organize events. The data that you provide when registering for events will be processed and stored for the preparation of the event, for the transmission of event documents, for the organisation of the event, to document the event (in particular by means of lists of participants) and, if applicable, for the transmission of presentations as well as for evaluation of the event. With the below mentioned exception, no data will be passed on to third parties.
operate and optimize our website and to ensure its security. For this purpose, we collect technical data, e.g. IP-address, device data, accessed files, cookies, date and time of access.

This website uses the open-source web analytics service Matomo. Matomo uses "cookies". Matomo will only start tracking with these types of cookies once you have given your consent via the cookie banner you’ll see on the first page. The information generated by the cookie about the use of this website is stored on our server for this purpose. The IP address is anonymised before it is stored. If you have given cookie consent, Matamo cookies stay on your device until you delete them. The information generated by the cookie about the use of this website shall not be communicated to third parties. You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting your browser settings; however, please note that if you do this, you may not be able to use all the features of this website to the fullest extent. You can disable storage and use here if you do not agree with the storage and use of your data. If this is the case, then an opt-out-cookie is uploaded to your device to prevent Matamo from storing browsing data. When you delete your cookies, the Matamo opt-out-cookie will also be deleted. Opt-out must then be reactivated on your next visit. For more detailed information regarding cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

We also have to store data to prove our activities, in particular vis-à-vis those who have commissioned us (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI, European Commission EC), and to assert any claims.

On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data?

As a company with its registered office in Switzerland, swissuniversities is subject to the Swiss Data Protection Act. If the GDPR should apply to a certain data processing, the processing is based on the following legal grounds:

- the processing is necessary to provide our service or certain parts thereof. This is the case in regard to:

i. communication with you;

ii. organizing events;

If you object to us processing data for these purposes, we might not be able to fully provide our service to you. This also concerns the proper functioning of the website.

- the processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us (Art. 6 I f GDPR). This is the case in regard to:

i. the operation and security of the website;
ii. analyzing the internet traffic on our website in order to improve the functionality of our website (optimization);

If certain data processing is (additionally) based on your consent (Art. 6 I a GDPR), you can withdraw this consent at any time. Data processing that took place before the withdrawal remains unaffected. Please note that we may continue to process data even if consent is withdrawn if there is an additional legal ground for doing so.

How long do we keep your data?

We process your data as long as it is necessary for the processing purposes, legal retention periods and our legitimate interests, e.g. for documentation, for evidence purposes or for IT security.

Who has access to your data and to whom is it disclosed?

Only a few specially authorised persons who are in charge of the technical, or editorial support of the servers have access to this data according to the “need to know” principle. Such staff abide by statutory, and when required, additional confidentiality agreements and contractual provisions.

In the context of our service and in line with the purposes of the data processing set out above, we may transfer data to third parties (Recipients), insofar as such a transfer is permitted and we deem it appropriate, in order for them to process data for us or, as the case may be, their own purposes. In particular, we may transfer data to our service providers, including processors (such as e.g. IT providers) as well as dealers, suppliers, subcontractors and other business partners. Additionally, we may be legally required to transfer some of your data to the Swiss Federal Archives.
Certain Recipients may be within Switzerland but they may be located in any country worldwide. In particular, you must anticipate your data to be transmitted other countries in Europe and the USA where our service providers are located (such as Microsoft).
If a recipient is located in a country without adequate statutory data protection, we require the recipient to undertake to comply with data protection (for this purpose, we use the revised European Commission’s standard contractual clauses), unless the recipient is subject to a legally accepted set of rules to ensure data protection and unless we cannot rely on an exception. An exception may apply for example in case of legal proceedings abroad, but also in cases of overriding public interest or if the performance of a contract requires disclosure, if you have consented or if data has been made available generally by you and you have not objected against the processing.

Data Security

Your data will be stored on specially protected servers in Switzerland.

We use appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data stored with us from manipulation, partial or complete loss and unauthorised access by third parties. Our security measures are continuously improved in line with technological developments.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have specific rights as a ‘data subject’. You have the right to get information about your processed personal data as well as the right to rectification by swissuniversities at any time. Provided that there is no legal retention obligation or other legal basis for the processing of your data, you have the right to have this data deleted. If the processing of your data is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent. If the processing is in the public interest or to protect the legitimate interests of swissuniversities or third parties, you have the right to object to the processing. You may also have the right to limit the processing, to data portability (provided that the data is processed based on your consent or in the course of the execution of a contract).

If you would like to exercise the above rights, please contact us at the address mentioned above.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice. The current version published on our website shall apply.