Privacy Policies

1. Introduction

This website is part of the ELA4ATTRACT project ELA4ATTRACT Empower Latin-American Higher Education for Inclusion and STEM Attraction), an international educational initiative carried out under the Erasmus+ program, with the participation of universities and higher education institutions from various countries.

The primary goal of this portal is to promote inclusion and interest in STEM fields among students in high schools, colleges, and universities, as well as among researchers and the academic community at large. The ELA4ATTRACT project ELA4ATTRACT the importance of protecting personal data and is committed to ensuring that it is processed in accordance with the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, and security, in compliance with applicable data protection regulations.

The purpose of these guidelines is to inform users about the processing of personal data that may take place through this website. This Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with the website’s Terms and Conditions of Use, which are available on this website.

2. Scope of Application

This Policy and its guidelines apply to:

  • Users who visit the ELA4ATTRACT project website.
  • People who contact the project via email or the forms posted on the website.
  • People interested in the activities, outcomes, and educational resources developed as part of the project.

3. Data Controller

The technical and administrative management of the website is the responsibility of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), in its capacity as the coordinating institution for the ELA4ATTRACT project’s digital platform.

However, the processing of personal data and the accuracy of published content are governed Low framework of shared responsibility:

  • INTEC: Is responsible for the security of the website, the storage of data collected through the general forms, and the technical maintenance of the website.
  • Partner Institutions: Each partner university in the project is solely and independently responsible for the content, resources, communications, and activities it generates within the framework of its respective local implementation. The publication of such information on the website does not transfer legal responsibility for the implementation of the activity to INTEC.
  • Joint Data Processing: In cases where data is collected for events organized by multiple institutions within the consortium, these institutions will act as joint data controllers, limiting the use of the data strictly to academic and project reporting purposes.

4. Applicable regulatory framework

The processing of personal data on this website is governed by the following provisions, depending on the user’s location and the nature of the activity:

  • Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR): An international standard for the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.
  • Applicable National Regulations: Data protection laws of the countries where the project’s participating institutions are located.
  • Erasmus+ Commitments: Transparency and security obligations arising from European Union funding.
  • INTEC Internal Policies: Specifically, the Policy on Acceptable Use of IT Resources (GTI-PO-006), which governs the consent required to access, view, or use the project’s digital assets.

5. Personal Data Processed and Purpose

The ELA4ATTRACT project ELA4ATTRACT the principle of data minimization, requesting only the information necessary for the purposes of the portal. Given the evolving nature of the project, data processing will comply with the following:

5.1. Source of the Data.

Data is collected exclusively through direct means when data subjects voluntarily provide it via email (such as through the “Join Us” section) or through registration forms for events and educational resources, or surveys posted on the project’s main website.

5.2. Data Categories.

The information collected may include, but is not limited to, the following categories:

      • Identification and Contact Information: Full name and email address.
      • Institutional Background Information: Name of the educational institution of origin (High School, School, or University).
      • Geographic Information: Country and city of residence.

5.3. Purpose of the processing

The personal data provided or collected will be processed exclusively for the following purposes:

      • Respond to user inquiries or requests for information related to the project.
      • Maintain institutional communications related to the project's activities and objectives.
      • Provide information on the results, events, or educational resources of the ELA4ATTRACT project.
      • Improve the service and user experience on the website.
      • Generation or compilation of impact statistics required by the Erasmus+ program.

5.4. Data Exclusion.

Under no circumstances will the data be transferred for advertising or profit-making purposes. The information is handled Low standards of academic confidentiality.

6. Legal basis for processing

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the processing of your personal data on this website is based on the consent of the data subject, which is obtained as follows:

  • Implied Consent: By voluntarily sending a message to the project’s official email address.
  • Explicit Consent: By completing and submitting registration, survey, or contact forms (such as the “Join Us” section), you indicate your agreement to these guidelines.

7. Data Retention

Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary to process the communication, request, or academic activity in question. Once the purpose has been fulfilled, the data will be deleted or anonymized, except in the following cases:

  • Program Requirements: When Erasmus+ or European Union regulations require the retention of records for audit purposes and to account for funds.
  • Legal or Institutional Requirement: When there is a national regulation or an INTEC provision that justifies retaining the data for a specific additional period.

8. Disclosure of Data and International Transfers

Personal data will not be sold, transferred, or disclosed to third parties outside the project consortium, except in cases where there is a legal obligation to do so or where it is strictly necessary to fulfill the academic purposes described.

Given the international structure of ELA4ATTRACT, the following is established:

  • Collaboration Among Partners: Data may be shared among the institutions participating in the project when necessary for the management of joint activities, event records, follow-up surveys, or results reports.
  • International Flow of Information: Because the consortium includes institutions from different countries, the processing of information may involve international data transfers between partner universities. Such transfers will always be conducted Low principles of confidentiality, security, and legitimate use, ensuring that recipient institutions implement appropriate safeguards.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The ELA4ATTRACT project website ELA4ATTRACT technical cookies and web analytics tools, specifically Google Analytics, for the sole purpose of optimizing the website’s performance and tracking its usage statistics. This processing includes the generation of reports on interests and demographic data, which is essential for measuring the academic impact required by the project.

To ensure control over their privacy, users have the following options:

  • Browser Management: You can manage, block, or delete cookies at any time through your browser's privacy settings.
  • Specific Opt-Out: To prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data, you can install the official browser opt-out plugin.
  • Non-Commercial Purpose: The use of these technologies is limited to improving the user experience, ensuring site security, and generating institutional metrics, and is not intended for advertising purposes.

10. Minors

This website is intended for both the general public and the academic community. In compliance with data protection regulations:

  • No intentional collection: We do not intentionally request or collect personal data from minors through this website.
  • Recommended supervision: We recommend that children’s access to educational resources or any attempt to fill out forms be supervised by their parents, guardians, or responsible teaching staff.
  • Data Deletion: If we discover that we have received data from a minor without the consent of their guardians, we will immediately delete it from our records.

11. Links to external sites

The website may contain links to websites of universities, partner institutions, or other third parties related to the academic field. With regard to these links, the following applies:

  • Disclaimer: ELA4ATTRACT is ELA4ATTRACT responsible for the privacy policies or data protection practices of such external sites.
  • Recommendation for Users: When leaving our website via a link, we recommend that you carefully read the privacy policies of any website that collects personal information.
  • Content Independence: The inclusion of links to third-party websites does not imply that the project endorses their privacy policies; users are solely responsible for their use of those platforms.

12. Changes to the Privacy Policy

These General Guidelines on Personal Data Privacy may be updated at any time to reflect changes in regulations, Erasmus+ program requirements, or technical developments on the website.

  • Effective Date: These amendments will take effect immediately upon their publication on this website.
  • User Responsibility: Users are encouraged to review this section periodically to stay informed of any updates regarding the handling of their information.
  • Continued Acceptance: Continued use of the portal following the publication of changes constitutes acceptance of the new guidelines.

13. Contact and Inquiries

If you have any questions regarding these General Guidelines on the Protection of Personal Data for the ELA4ATTRACT Project, or if you wish to exercise your rights regarding the processing of your information (access, correction, deletion, restriction, or objection), please contact us via the institutional email address listed in the “Join Us” section of the ELA4ATTRACT Project’s official website.