Last updated February 2025

GENERAL INFORMATION

Welcome to the Privacy Policy of the International Association of Universities (referred to as the IAU). We appreciate your interest in our organization, our priorities, and higher education in general. The privacy of users is important to the IAU. Therefore, your personal data will only be processed within the legal framework of the data protection provisions set out by the European Union, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (referred to as “GDPR”).
By using the IAU’s Website and/ or IAU’s Services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and that you agree with it. The IAU reserves the right to change the Privacy Policy as deemed appropriate. Any such change will be communicated through the IAU website (https://www.iau-aiu.net).

The IAU is committed to respecting the privacy of our Members, partners, and website users. The IAU treats all personal data with the strictest confidentiality and in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

In this Privacy Policy, the IAU sets out which personal data is collected and used, and for which purposes. Moreover, this Privacy Policy includes important information regarding your rights with respect to the processing of your personal data.

WHAT DATA DO WE COLLECT?

The IAU collects personal data for various purposes. This may include:
• Identifying information: Name, job title, affiliated institution / organization, email address, postal address, phone number.
• Communication records: Emails, inquiries, and correspondence with IAU.
• Technical information: IP address, date and time of website access, pages visited, browser type, operating system, and other browsing preferences.
• Survey responses: Data you provide through participation in IAU surveys related to higher education and research.
• Event participation data: Registration details for IAU events, including conferences, webinars, and workshops.
• Membership-related data: Information shared by institutions and/or organizations as part of their IAU Membership.

HOW DO WE COLLECT YOUR DATA?

Data is collected when:
• Subscribing to our newsletter ;
• Registering for an event, webinar, programme, survey ;
• Your Institution/ Organisation becomes a Member of IAU ;
• Updating your information as a Member institution or Organisation
• Through the World Higher Education Database (www.whed.net).

Some data is collected automatically through:
• Website cookies and analytics tools (for details, see our [Cookie Policy]) ;
• Technical logs of interactions with our website and platforms.

WHY DO WE COLLECT YOUR DATA?

We collect your data to:
• send newsletters, event invitations, and other communications relevant to higher education and research based on indicated user preferences.
• request participation in thematic surveys that contribute to IAU’s research and policy work.
• facilitate webinar and event registration, and to follow up on participation.
• improve the user experience on our website and digital platforms.
• communicate with our Members and stakeholders effectively.

LINKED WEBSITES, SOCIAL MEDIA AND THIRD PARTY SERVICES

There are hyperlinks posted on our website that link to other websites. IAU is not responsible for, and this Privacy Policy does not apply to, the privacy practices of any website, third party or company the IAU links through to.

The third party tools we use are each time clearly identified. Their respective privacy policies can be found on their respective websites.

LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the IAU processing of your data is based on the following legal grounds:
• Consent – For newsletters, surveys, events, programmes and webinar registrations where you actively opt-in.
• Legitimate Interest – For analytics, website improvements, and communications with you.
• Contractual Necessity – When processing is required to fulfil obligations related to memberships or event participation.

DATA RETENTION PERIOD

We retain your personal data as long as necessary for engagement and communication. Your data is not retained longer than 30 years.

HOW IS YOUR DATA PROTECTED?

We implement strict security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or misuse. We continually update our protocols to ensure compliance with data protection best practices.
We review our data retention policies when deemed necessary to ensure compliance with legal and operational requirements.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:
• Access your personal data ;
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data ;
• Erase your data (“right to be forgotten”) under certain conditions ;
• Restrict processing of your data under certain circumstances ;
• Object to processing of your data ;
• Data portability, meaning you can request your data in a structured, commonly used format;
• Withdraw consent at any time for processing based on consent ;
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your data is being misused.

CONTACT

For any questions or concerns regarding our Privacy Policy or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact our Delegate for the protection of personal data at GDPR@iau-aiu.net and/ or write to:
International Association of Universities (IAU)
Delegate for the protection of personal data
UNESCO House
1 Rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15,
France
Phone: +33 145684800