Privacy Policy

I. Responisbile Entity and Data Protection Officer

Pursuant to the General Data Protection Regulation, national data protection laws of the various Member States, and other privacy regulations, the responsible entity is:

Promotionskolleg für angewandte Forschung in Nordrhein-Westfalen
(Graduate School NRW)
Konrad-Zuse-Straße 10
44801 Bochum
E-Mail: info@pknrw.de
Tel: +49 (0)234-32-10180

Our Data Protection Officer is:

Heiner Niehüser
DSB Münster GmbH
Martin-Luther-King-Weg 42-44
48155 Münster
E-Mail: datenschutz@dsb-ms.de
Phone: +49 (0)251-71879110

II. Processing of Personal Data

1. Scope of this Privacy Notice

This privacy notice applies to all processing of personal data for which the Graduate School NRW is responsible.

2. Publication of Personal Data on our Website

The publication of information about professors and doctoral candidates (name, degree, university) on our website is necessary for public relations and transparency and thus serves to protect the legitimate interests of those concerned, Article 6 paragraph 1 letter f Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO). Any additional information, such as photographs, is voluntary.

3. Processing of Personal Data of Professors and Doctoral Candidates

We process personal data of professors and doctoral candidates for the fulfilment of contracts (enrolment, admission, membership) or for pre-contractual measures (application). This concerns personal master data, identifiers, qualifications and usage data. This data is processed on our servers. For hosting and software maintenance, we have engaged service providers with whom we have contract agreements for processing the respective orders. The transfer of personal data is required by law in accordance with the NRW Higher Education Act with the universities of origin. This relates to enrolment, student status, leave of absence and exmatriculation. No further transfer of personal data, including to third-party countries, takes place or is planned. We delete or anonymise personal data as soon as the purpose for which it was processed no longer applies and any retention periods have expired.

4. Processing of Personal Data when visiting our Website

Each time our website is accessed, our system automatically collects data and information from the computer system of the accessing computer.

The following data are collected:

  • IP address
  • date and time
  • page accessed / name of file accessed
  • browser type
  • a notification as to whether the access/retrieval was successful.

The IP address is only recorded for the purpose of responding to enquiries. The data is also stored in the log files of our system. These data are not stored together with other personal data of the user.

The temporary storage of the IP address by the system is necessary to enable the website to be delivered to the user's computer. For this purpose, the user's IP address is stored for the duration of the session.

The data is stored in log files to ensure the functionality of the website. We also use the data to optimise the website and to ensure the security of our information technology systems. The data is analysed for statistical purposes only.

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security purposes and to protect the transmission of information you send to us as the site operator. An encrypted connection is indicated by the browser address bar changing from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock icon in the browser address bar.

When SSL or TLS encryption is active, the data you send to us cannot be read by third parties.

Our website only uses technically necessary cookies which are required for the provision and content of this website and which do not require the consent of the user pursuant to Article 25 paragraph 2 Telekommunikation-Digitale-Dienste-Datenschutz-Gesetz (TDDDG).

The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected. The log files including all data are deleted 72 hours after the end of the visit. They may be kept for longer. In this case, the IP addresses of the users are deleted and anonymised so that it is no longer possible to identify the current client.

5. Contact Form, E-Mail and Telephone Contact

Wherever the Graduate School NRW website offers the possibility of entering personal data (e.g. e-mail address, name, address, etc.), this data will be transmitted to us and stored. This also applies if the personal data is entered via a contact form provided by us for this purpose. The following data is also stored when a message is sent via a contact form

  • IP address of the user
  • date and time.

Your data will be processed for pre-contractual measures based on your request (pursuant to Article 6 paragraph 1 letter b DSGVO).

If contact is made via an e-mail address provided or by telephone, the user's personal data transmitted by e-mail or telephone will be stored. No data will be passed on to third parties. The data will only be used to process the communication.

The processing of personal data through the input screen or online form is solely for the purpose of the correspondence. The processing of personal data from a sent e-mail is used to process the contact and to conduct a conversation and communication. The other personal data processed during the sending process is used to prevent misuse of the contact form and to ensure the security of our information technology systems.

The legal basis for the processing of data is Article 6 paragraph 1 letter a DSGVO, if the user has given his/her consent. The legal basis for the processing of data transmitted in the context of sending an e-mail is Article 6 paragraphe 1 letter e DSGVO.

The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected. In the case of personal data collected through a contact form, the purpose for which the data was collected is no longer valid once the conversation with the user has ended. The conversation is considered to have ended when it can be deduced from the circumstances that the user and/or the Graduate School NRW considers the conversation to have ended. In the case of personal data sent by e-mail, the purpose of collection shall cease to apply when the conversation and any communication with the user has ended.

6. Processing of Personal Data for Alumni Relations Purposes

The Graduate School NRW processes personal data for the purpose of alumni work. This serves to build up an alumni network. The focus here is on event-related communication and information, the organization of alumni-relevant events, and the evaluation of our doctoral procedures. Evaluation may also include voluntary and non-anonymous individual interviews with you or as part of a survey, in which opinions and experiences regarding the doctorate are collected in particular.

The following data is collected:

  • title
  • last Name
  • first Name
  • (private) email address
  • department of the PK NRW

If you choose to enter personal data for the alumni work of the Graduate School NRW, the data you enter will be transmitted to us and stored. Your data will be collected and processed exclusively for the above-mentioned purposes of the PK NRW. Your personal data will not be used for purposes other than those described or passed on to third parties.

The legal basis for the collection, processing, and use of your data is Article 6 paragraph 1 DSGVO.

Your consent is voluntary and unlimited. Your data will be stored for as long as necessary to fulfill the aforementioned purposes or until you revoke your consent.

7. Website Analysis – Use of Matomo

The Graduate School NRW uses the open source analysis tool Matomo on its websites. Matomo is an open source web analytics platform that collects information about the usage behavior of website visitors. This includes page views, downloads, form submissions, and other interactions. The IP address and device information such as the browser used or the operating system are also recorded. The aim is to improve the Graduate School NRW's website by analyzing the data.

The Graduate School NRW uses a version of Matomo that does not require cookies. This means that no Matomo cookies are stored on your device for the purpose of web analysis. The data collected in this way is transferred to the server of the Graduate School NRW/HS Bochum. The data transfer is encrypted, the data is anonymized and stored for the purpose of usage analysis. The collected data will not be passed on to third parties.

The data is processed on the basis of Article 6 paragraph 1 DSGVO with the legitimate interest of usage analysis to improve the website.

III. Rights of Data Subjects Concerned by Data Processing

1. Right of Access

You have the right to request information about your personal data stored by us free of charge (Article 15 DSGVO). If such processing has taken place, you can request information from the controller about the following data actually processed and, in addition, request information about:

  • the purposes for which the personal data is processed
  • the categories of personal data processed
  • the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been or will be disclosed
  • the anticipated duration of the storage of personal data concerning you or, if it is not possible to provide specific information on this, the criteria used to determine this duration
  • the right to rectify or erase personal data concerning you, the right to restrict processing by the Data Controller or the right to object to such processing
  • the right to file a complaint with a supervisory authority
  • any information available on the origin of the data, where the personal data have not been obtained from the data subject.

You have the right to demand to receive information about the transfer of your personal data to a third-party country or to an international organisation. In this context, you may request to be informed about the appropriate safeguards pursuant to Article 46 DSGVO in relation to the transfer.

2. Right of Rectification

You have a right of rectification and/or completion towards the Responsible Party if the processed personal data concerning you are inaccurate or incomplete. The Responsible Party must carry out the rectification promptly.

3. Right to Limit Processing, Data Portability, Objection

You may request the limitation of the processing of your personal data under the following conditions

  • if you deny the accuracy of the personal data concerning you for a period of time that allows the Responsible Party to verify the accuracy of the personal data;
  • the processing is unlawful and you object to the removal of the personal data and request instead the restriction of their use
  • the Responsible Party no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by you for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; or
  • if you have objected to the processing pursuant to Article 21 paragraphe 1 DSGVO, pending verification of whether the Responsible Party's legitimate grounds override your grounds.

If the processing of personal data concerning you has been restricted, such data may be processed - apart from their storage - only with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest of the Union or of a Member State.

If the processing has been restricted in accordance with the conditions set out above, you will be informed by the Responsible Party before the restriction is revoked.

4. Right to Deletion and Deletion of your Personal Data (Article 16-21 DSGVO)

You have the right to demand from the Responsible Party that personal data concerning you be deleted without undue delay, and the Responsible Party is obliged to delete personal data without delay if one of the following reasons applies

  • The personal data concerning you is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.
  • You revoke your consent on which the processing was based pursuant to Article 6 paragraph 1 letter a or Article 9 paragraph 2 letter a DSGVO and there is no other legal basis for the processing.
  • You object to the processing pursuant to Article 21 paragraph 1 DSGVO and there are no higher legal grounds for the processing, or you object to the processing pursuant to Article 21 paragraph 2 DSGVO.
  • Your personal data has been processed unlawfully.
  • The deletion of personal data concerning you is necessary to comply with a legal obligation under Union law or the law of the Member State to which the Responsible Party is subject.
  • The personal data concerning you has been collected in the context of the provision of information society services within the meaning of Article 8 paragraph 1 DSGVO.

5. Disclosure to Third Parties

Where the Responsible Party has made your personal data public and is required to erase it pursuant to Article 17 paragraph 1 DSGVO, they shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, taking into account available technology and the cost of implementation, to inform the Responsible Parties who process the personal data that you, as the data subject, have requested that those Responsible Parties erase any links to, or copies or replicates of, those personal data.

Exceptions

The right of erasure does not apply if the processing is necessary for

  • the purpose of exercising the right of expression and information
  • compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing by Union or Member State law to which the Responsible is subject or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Responsible
  • reasons of public interest in the field of public health pursuant to Article 9 paragraph 2 letter h and i and Article 9 paragraph 3 DSGVO;
  • archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research or statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89 paragraph 1 DSGVO in conjunction with Section 10 of the Data Protection Act of North Rhine-Westphalia, if the right referred to in letter a) is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of the processing, or
  • the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

6. Obligation to Notify when Rectifying, Erasing or Restricting Processing

If you have made use of the right of rectification, erasure or restriction of processing towards the Data Manager, the Data Manager is obliged to notify all the recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been disclosed of the rectification, erasure or restriction of processing, unless this proves impossible or involves a disproportionate effort.

You have the right to be informed by the Data Manager of these recipients.

7. Right to Data Portability

You have the right to obtain the personal data concerning you that you have provided to the Responsible Party in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. You also have the right to have that data communicated to another Responsible Party, without hindrance from the Responsible Party to whom the personal data have been communicated, if

  • the processing is based on consent pursuant to Article 6 paragraph 1 letter a DSGVO or Article  9 paragraph 2 letter a DSGVO or on a contract pursuant to Article 6 paragraph 1 letter b DSGVO and
  • the processing is carried out by automated means.

In exercising this right, you also have the right to have the personal data concerning you transferred directly from one Responsible Party to another Responsible Party, insofar as this is technically feasible. The freedoms and rights of other persons must not be affected.

The right to data portability does not apply to the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Responsible Party.

8. Right to Object

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Article 6 paragraph 1 letter e or f DSGVO, including profiling based on these provisions.

The Responsible Party will no longer process the personal data concerning you unless the Responsible Party can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which outweigh your interests, rights and freedoms or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

If the personal data concerning you is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing purposes, including profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.

If you object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes, your personal data will no longer be processed for such purposes.

Notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, you may exercise your right to object by means of automated procedures using technical specifications in connection with the use of information society services.

9. Right to Withdraw Your Privacy Consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of your data in accordance with Article 7 paragraph 3 DSGVO at any time. You can send your withdrawal of consent in writing to the following email address: info@pknrw.de.

Your data will be processed until you withdraw your consent or object to the processing, unless we are required by law to process (e.g., store) your data for a longer period of time.

The withdrawal of your consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of your consent until the withdrawal.

10. Right to Complain

Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State where you have your habitual residence or place of work or where the alleged infringement took place, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you is in violation of the General Data Protection Regulation or the Data Protection Act of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The supervisory authority to which the complaint has been submitted will inform the complainant of the status and outcome of the complaint, including the possibility of a judicial remedy pursuant to Article 78 DSGVO.

Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen
Kavalleriestr. 2-4, 40213 Düsseldorf
Tel.: 0211 / 38424-0, Fax: -10
E-Mail: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de

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PK NRW
Konrad-Zuse-Straße 10
44801 Bochum

info@pknrw.de