Data Privacy Statement

We – Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V. (the German Academic Exchange Service), hereinafter referred to as either “we” or “DAAD” – are pleased to see you visiting our website. Thank you for your interest in our organisation and funding programmes. Your privacy is important to us. We take the protection of your personal data and their confidential treatment very seriously. Your data will be processed exclusively within the legal framework of the data protection provisions of the European Union, particularly the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter: “GDPR”). This data protection statement provides you with information about the processing of your personal data and your data protection rights when using our website.

 

1.    Data Processor and Data Protection Officer – contact details

The Data Processor as defined in data protection legislation is
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V. (DAAD)
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Germany
Tel: +49 228 882-0
E-Mail:   

If you have any questions or suggestions about data protection, please feel free to contact us.

 

2.    Object of data protection
The object of data protection is personal data. Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (a so-called data subject). This includes, for example, details such as the name, postal address, email address and phone number, though other details are also necessarily created while using our website, such as the beginning, end and extent of use.

 

3.    Type, scope, purposes and legal basis for data processing
Below you will find an overview of the type, scope, purposes and legal basis of data processing on our website.

 

3.1    Provision of our website
When you access our website on your device, we process the following data:
–    Date and time of access
–    Duration of visit
–    Your operating system
–    Volume of data sent
–    Type of access
–    IP address
–    Domain name

We process this data on the basis of GDPR Article 6 (1) point f, as they are required for us to provide the service, to ensure technical operation and to investigate and remove malfunctions. It is in our interest to ensure the use and technical operability of our website. This data is automatically processed when our website is accessed. Unless they are provided, you cannot use our services. We usually erase these data after seven days, unless, under exceptional circumstances, we need them for a longer period for the above-mentioned purposes. In such a case we erase the data as soon as they are no longer required for the relevant purpose.

 

3.2    Contact form
You have the option of contacting us through a form.

If you use the “Contact form for foreigners wanting to come to Germany” we need the following mandatory details (marked as such): name, email address, country of origin, country of residence, current level of education, subject area, project reason, question. However, you can voluntarily provide additional details, such as age, gender, graduation year, name of original certificate, how you became aware of the DAAD.

The data serves the purpose of meeting your request for contact. We process this data on the basis of GDPR Article 6 (1) point f. The purpose of processing your data is solely to deal with your contact request. As soon as your contact request has been concluded, we will erase the data we have collected via the contact form. Any personal data that were additionally collected during the sending process are erased if they are no longer required for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.

 

3.3 Application form
You have the option of applying to become a testimonial of our campaign through a form.

If you use the „Application form“ we need the following mandatory details (marked as such): First name, last name, email address, country of origin, German address, degree programme / degree, name of the higher education institution, current semester, number of semesters until graduation, a short letter of motivation, answering yes/no questions about (possible) participation in compulsory events as well as experience in using social media. However, you can voluntarily provide additional details, such as information about your extra-curricular activities, URLs of your social media profiles.

The data serves the purpose of meeting your application purpose. We process this data on the basis of GDPR Article 6 (1) point f. The purpose of processing your data is solely to deal with your application. As soon as the application process has been completed, we will erase the data we have collected via the application form. Any personal data that were additionally collected during the sending process are erased if they are no longer required for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.

 

3.4    Social plug-ins
This website uses social plug-ins from the social media Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter operated by Meta Platforms, Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA, Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA and Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA, respectively. You will find three buttons on our website, enabling you to share content on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter, so that you can conveniently recommend our website to friends on your preferred social media platforms. A so-called Shariff solution has been implemented on our website. When you call up our website, data is not automatically sent to the relevant social media.
But when you click on a social media button, your browser uses this social plug-in to set up a direct connection to the server of the relevant social network. We have no influence on the scope of the data which is collected by the social media operators in this way. The operators process the information that you have called up our website. If you are also logged into one of the social media platforms at that time, the operator can match up your account with the relevant social media site. If you then also interact with the social plug-in by clicking “Like” or “Share”, the relevant social media site will process that information. Even if you are not a member of one of these social media platforms, it is possible for them to find out your IP address through the social plug-in and then possibly store this information. Further information about the scope and purpose for which data is processed, collected and used by Facebook, Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc.) Google and Twitter, as well as your rights in this respect and the setting options, can be found in each company’s data protection policy:

If you do not want social media to collect data via our website, make sure you do not click on the relevant buttons. In addition, you can block social plug-ins via add-ons in your browser.

 

3.5    Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google Inc. (hereinafter: “Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies (see clause 5), i.e. text files which are saved to your computer and allow us to analyse your use of the website. The information that is created by cookies on your use of our website is usually sent to a Google server in the United States, where it is then stored. However, if you have activated IP anonymisation for this website, your IP address will not be sent without first being truncated by Google within the Member States of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the United States and then truncated there. Acting on behalf of the site operators, Google will use this information to analyse your use of the website, to create reports on website activities for us as site operators and to provide us with other services connected with website and internet use. The IP address which Google Analytics sends via your browser will not be linked by Google with any other data Google may have.

This website uses Google Analytics with the extension “_anonymizeIp()”. This has the effect of truncating IP addresses before further processing, so that the data cannot be related to any specific person. If the data that is collected about you allows conclusions about you as a person, this is immediately prevented and the relevant personal data are thus erased immediately.

We use Google Analytics to analyse use of our website and to improve it at regular intervals. The statistical data we receive in this way helps us to improve our website and to make it more interesting for you as a user.

In the exceptional cases in which personal data is transferred to Google (USA) in the USA, your personal data is transferred to a third country (outside the European Economic Area). To ensure an adequate level of data protection, we have concluded so-called EU standard contractual clauses with Google. You can obtain from us a copy of the specifically agreed regulations to ensure an adequate level of data protection. Please use the information provided under point 1.

The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is GDPR Article 6 (1) point a, i.e. your consent. Any data that we send, and which is linked to cookies, user IDs or advertising IDs, is automatically erased after 14 months. Any data that has reached the end of its retention period is automatically erased once a month.

You can prevent the storage of cookies through a suitable setting in your cookie settings. Please note, however, that if you do so, you may not be able to use all the functions of this website in full. 

Click here to change the cookie settings: .

Further details about Google and its use of personal data can be obtained from the following addresses:

• Google Dublin, Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Fax: +353 (1) 436 1001.
• data privacy overview:

 

3.6    Pageflow
To allow us to present images, videos and audio content on our website in an interactive way, we use Pageflow software and make use of external service providers who process your personal data when this content is accessed. These service providers are bound by our instructions. They have been carefully selected by us and have received written agreement for the services to be performed. Where data processing is carried out by service providers who are based outside the European Economic Area, we have put the appropriate safeguards in place for their use in accordance with Section 4c para. 2 BDSG (Federal Data Protection Act).

 

3.7    YouTube
Our website contains embedded video clips from the video portal YouTube. YouTube is a portal of YouTube LLC, a subsidiary of Google Inc. For reasons of data protection, we decided not to integrate the video clips directly into our website but deactivated them by default. Thus, no data will be transmitted to Google when you access our website. For that reason you will only find a preview image of the video clip on our website. You must activate the video clip by clicking the preview image in order to watch the video. Only after this activation is a connection established to Google’s servers and data are transferred to Google. We have no control over the amount of data collected in this process. Please refer to the data privacy policies of Google for further information on the purpose and extent to which data is collected, processed and used by Google, as well as your rights in this respect and the setting options for protecting your privacy. Go to: . 

The YouTube terms of use can be found at: .

 

3.8    Map service
Our website uses the map service Google Maps, operated by Google Inc., Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). When you access a page that includes Google Maps, your browser connects directly with the Google servers. The map content is transmitted directly to your browser and integrated into the website by Google via a so-called iFrame. If you do not wish Google to collect, process or use data about you via our website, you can disable JavaScript in your browser settings. However, if you do so, you will not be able to use the map display. Further details about data processing by Google can be found in the Google Privacy Policy: . 

 

3.9    Google reCAPTCHA
On this website, we use the reCAPTCHA feature of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). This function is primarily used to distinguish whether an input is made by a natural person or abusive by automated and automated processing. The service includes the sending of the IP address and possibly other data required by Google for the reCAPTCHA service to Google and is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR based on our legitimate interest in determining the individual will-bearingness of actions on the Internet and the prevention of abuse and spam.

Google LLC, based in the US, is certified under the us European Privacy Protection Convention “Privacy Shield”.

For more information on Google reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy, please visit: 

 

3.10    Blog comments
On our website you can leave comments on individual contributions.When you use the comment function, your chosen username, e-mail address and the content of your comment are processed.This function is provided to enable you to comment on the content of our website.Other visitors to the website will then be able to read your comments.The legal basis for processing this data is GDPR Art. 6, section 1, point (f).Our legitimate interest is to enable you to comment on our contributions.This data will be deleted after the article commented on has been removed. Comments that contain illegal content (e.g. offensive comments) will be deleted immediately.

 

4.    Links to third-party websites
If websites and services by other site owners are linked to this website, they have been and will continue to be designed and supplied by third parties. We have no influence on the design, content or function of third-party services, and we expressly distance ourselves from any content provided by linked third-party sites. Please remember that third-party sites linked to this website may have their own cookies which are installed on your device to collect personal data. We have no influence over this. In such cases you may wish to obtain more information directly from the owners of the third-party websites linked to this site.

 

5.    Cookies
We use so-called cookies to provide you with extensive functions, to make our website more user-friendly and to optimise our website. Cookies are small files which are saved to your device via your web browser.

Categories of cookies
We use cookies for a variety of purposes and with different functions. Moreover, we make distinctions between cookies, depending on whether they are mandatory from a technical perspective (i.e. a technical requirement), how long they are stored and used (known as the retention period) and whether they have been set by our website itself or by a third party and, if so, by whom (i.e. by which cookie provider).

Technical requirement and legal basis
Technically mandatory cookies We use certain cookies because they are mandatory requirements to ensure that our website and its functions can work in a legally compliant manner. Such cookies are automatically set when the website or a specific function is accessed, unless you have prevented the setting of cookies through your browser settings. Any data collected through the use of such cookies are processed by us on the basis of GDPR Article 6 (1) point f.
Technically non-mandatory cookies: On the other hand, non-mandatory cookies are set to improve, for instance, the convenience and performance of our website or to save certain settings you have made. We also use technically non-mandatory cookies to obtain information on the frequency with which certain parts of our website are used, so that we can tailor them more closely to your needs in the future. We do not store technically non-mandatory cookies until you click the relevant box, confirming that you have read our cookie note, and continue to use our website. Any data collected through the use of such cookies is processed by us on the basis of GDPR Article 6 (1) point a.

Retention period
Session-cookies: Most cookies are only required for as long as you access the current service or continue your session. They are either erased or lose their validity as soon as you leave our website or your current session has expired (these are so-called session cookies). Session cookies are used, for instance, to retain certain information during your session.
Permanent cookies: It happens occasionally that cookies are saved for a longer period of time, for instance, to recognise you when you open our website again at a later point. It means that you can call up saved settings again. This means you can access our website faster and more conveniently, and you don’t have to make certain settings again, e.g. specify the relevant language. Permanent cookies are automatically deleted upon the expiry of a defined period of time following the date on which you visited the site or domain where the cookie was set.
Cookie providers
Third party cookies: So-called third-party cookies are set and used by other providers or websites, for example by operators of web analysis tools. Further details on web analysis tools and range measurement can be found below in this Policy. Third-party providers can also use cookies to display adverts or to integrate social media content, e.g. social plug-ins.

Erasure of and objection to the use of cookies
The acceptance of cookies is not mandatory in the use of our website. If you do not want cookies to be saved to your device, you can disable the relevant option in the system settings of your browser. Saved cookies can be deleted through the system settings in your browser at any time. Please note, however, that if you do not accept cookies, the functions of our services may be limited.

When you access our website, the following cookies may be stored:

 

6.    Recipients of personal data
Internal recipients: Within the DAAD, access is limited to persons requiring it for the purposes specified under clause 3.

External recipients: We only share your personal data with external recipients outside the DAAD if this is required for managing or processing your request, if there is some different legitimate permission or if you have given us your consent for this purpose..

External recipients may be:

a) Processors
External service providers we use for the provision of services, for instance in the technical infrastructure and maintenance of the DAAD’s own services or for the provision of content. We carefully select such processors and regularly check them to ensure the safeguarding of your privacy. Service providers may only use data for the purposes we specify.

b) Public bodies
Public authorities and state institutions, such as public prosecutors, courts of law and fiscal authorities to which we need to send personal data for mandatory legal reasons.

c) Private bodies
Cooperation partners and assistants, to whom data is transmitted on the basis of consent or a mandatory requirement.

 

7.    Data processing in third countries
If data is transmitted to bodies that have their head offices or data-processing locations outside EU member states and outside states forming part of the EEA, we ensure before disclosure that – except for certain legally permitted exceptions – those bodies either have your adequate consent or they provide an adequate level of data protection (for instance, through an adequacy decision taken by the European Commission, through suitable guarantees such as the recipient’s self certification for the EU-US Privacy Shield or the agreement of so-called standard EU contractual clauses with the recipient). You can request from us a list of recipients in third countries and a copy of the provisions that have been agreed in each case to ensure an adequate level of data protection. To do so, please use the contact details given in clause 1.

 

8.    Retention period
You will find the retention period for personal data in the relevant chapter on data processing. We generally apply the rule whereby we only save your personal data for as long as they are required to fulfil their purposes or – if you have given your consent – until you revoke your consent. If you revoke your consent, we erase your personal data, unless further processing is permitted under the relevant applicable statutory provisions. We also erase your personal data if we are under an obligation to do so on legal grounds.

 

9.    Rights of data subjects
As a data subject you are entitled to the following rights:

Right to information: You have a right to access the data we have stored about you as a person.

Right to rectification and erasure: You can require us to correct inaccurate data or – provided that the legal grounds are in place – to erase your data.

Restriction of processing: Provided that the legal grounds are in place, you can require us to restrict the processing of your data.

Data portability: If you have provided us with data on the basis of a contract or your consent, and as long as there are legal grounds, you can require us to send you the data you gave us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or you can require us to send your data to a different controller.

Objection to cookies You can also object to the use of cookies at any time. You will find the relevant details in our notes on cookies in clause 5.

Revocation of consent: If you have given us your consent to the processing of your data, you can revoke the same at any time with future effect. This, however, does not affect the legitimacy of processing your data until the date of revocation.

Right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority: You can also lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of your data has breached the latest applicable law. To do so, you can contact the data protection authority responsible for your place of residence or country or the data protection authority responsible for ourselves.

Your contact with us:In addition, if you have any questions about the processing of your personal data, your rights as a data subject or any consent you may have given, please feel free to contact us without incurring any charge. To exercise any of the aforementioned rights, please contact datenschutz@daad.de or write to the postal address specified in clause 1. When you do so, please make sure that we can clearly identify you.

 

10.    Commissioner for data protection
Contact details of our commissioner for data protection:
Scheja & Partners GmbH & Co. KG
Adenauerallee 136
53113 Bonn
Telefon: +49 228 227226-0
Fax: +49 228 227226-26

Contact via 

 

11.    Update status
The latest version of this data protection statement shall be applicable. Latest Update  09 April 2024.