Data protection

1) Introduction and contact details of the controller

1. 1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. In the following, we will inform you about how we handle your personal data when you use our website. Personal data is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller in charge of data processing on this website, within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is Institute for International Cooperation, Technological Diplomacy and Communication GmbH, Campus-Boulevard 30, 52074 Aachen, Deutschland, Tel.: +49 (0) 241 47 57 61 50, E-Mail: info@ici-institute.de. The controller of personal data is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

2) Data collection when visiting our website

2. 1 If you use our website for informational purposes only, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect the data that your browser transmits to the site server (so-called "server log files"). When you visit our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

Our visited website
Date and time at the time of access
Amount of data sent in bytes
Source/reference from which you reached the page
Browser used
Operating system used
IP address used (if applicable: in anonymized form)

The processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data is not passed on or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files retrospectively if there are concrete indications of unlawful use.

2.2 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. orders or inquiries to the controller). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the character string "https://" and the lock symbol in your browser line.

3) Hosting & content delivery network

Squarespace

We use the system of the following provider to host our website and display the page content: Squarespace, Le Pole House, Ship Street Great, Dublin 8, Ireland

All data collected on our website is processed on the provider's servers.
We have concluded an order processing contract with the provider, which ensures the protection of the data of our website visitors and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

As part of the aforementioned services, data may also be transferred to Squarespace Inc. in the USA as part of further processing on behalf of Squarespace.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider has signed up to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

4) Cookies

In order to make visiting our website attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use cookies, i.e. small text files that are stored on your end device. Some of these cookies are automatically deleted after you close your browser (so-called "session cookies"), while others remain on your device for longer and enable page settings to be saved (so-called "persistent cookies"). In the latter case, you can find the storage period in the cookie settings overview of your web browser.

If personal data is also processed by individual cookies used by us, the processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR either for the execution of the contract, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR in the case of consent given or in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR to safeguard our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website and a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and can decide individually about their acceptance or exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general.

Please note that if you do not accept cookies, the functionality of our website may be restricted.

5) Making contact

Personal data is collected when you contact us (e.g. via contact form or email). Which data is collected when using a contact form can be seen from the respective contact form. This data is stored and used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your request or for contacting you and the associated technical administration.

The legal basis for the processing of this data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. If your contact is aimed at concluding a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR. Your data will be deleted after final processing of your request. This is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the matter in question has been conclusively clarified and provided that there are no statutory retention obligations to the contrary.

6) Use of customer data for direct advertising

6.1 Registration for our e-mail newsletter

If you subscribe to our e-mail newsletter, we will send you regular information about our offers. The only mandatory information for sending the newsletter is your e-mail address. The provision of further data is voluntary and is used to address you personally. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for sending the newsletter. This means that we will only send you an e-mail newsletter if you have expressly confirmed to us that you consent to receiving the newsletter. We will then send you a confirmation e-mail asking you to confirm that you wish to receive the newsletter in future by clicking on a corresponding link.

By activating the confirmation link, you give us your consent to the use of your personal data in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. When you register for the newsletter, we store your IP address entered by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) as well as the date and time of registration in order to be able to trace any possible misuse of your e-mail address at a later date. The data collected by us when you register for the newsletter will be used exclusively for the purpose of advertising by means of the newsletter. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link provided in the newsletter or by sending a message to the controller named at the beginning. Once you have unsubscribed, your e-mail address will be deleted from our newsletter distribution list immediately, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data or we reserve the right to use data beyond this, which is permitted by law and about which we inform you in this declaration.

6.2 Advertising by post
On the basis of our legitimate interest in personalized direct advertising, we reserve the right to store your first and last name, your postal address and - insofar as we have received this additional information from you as part of the contractual relationship - your title, academic degree, year of birth and your professional, industry or business name in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR and to use them to send you interesting offers and information about our products by post.
You can object to the storage and use of your data for this purpose at any time.

7) Page functionalities

7.1 Youtube

This website uses plugins to display and play videos from the following provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland

Data may also be transmitted to: Google LLC, USA

When you access a page on our website that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the provider's servers in order to load the plugin. Certain information, including your IP address, is transmitted to the provider.

If the playback of embedded videos is started via the plugin, the provider also uses cookies to collect information about user behavior, create playback statistics and prevent abusive behavior.

If you are logged into a user account with the provider during your visit to the site, your data will be assigned directly to your account when you click on a video. If you do not wish your data to be associated with your account, you must log out before clicking the play button.

All of the aforementioned processing, in particular the setting of cookies for reading information on the terminal device used, will only take place if you have given us your express consent to do so in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by deactivating this service via the "cookie consent tool" provided on the website.

7.2 Google reCAPTCHA

On this website, we use the CAPTCHA service of the following provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland

Data may also be transmitted to: Google LLC, USA. For the visual design of the captcha window, the provider uses "Google Fonts", i.e. fonts downloaded from the Internet by Google. No information other than that already transmitted to Google via the ReCaptcha functionality will be processed.

The service checks whether an entry is made by a natural person or abusively by machine and automated processing, and blocks spam, DDoS attacks and similar automated malicious access. In order to ensure that an action is carried out by a person and not by an automated bot, the provider collects the IP address of the end device used, identification data of the browser and operating system type used as well as the date and duration of the visit and transmits these to the provider's servers for evaluation.

The legal basis is our legitimate interest in determining individual responsibility on the Internet and the prevention of misuse and spam in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

We have concluded an order processing contract with the provider, which ensures the protection of the data of our website visitors and prohibits unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

7.3 Applications for job advertisements by e-mail

We advertise current vacancies on our website in a separate section, for which interested parties can apply by e-mail to the contact address provided.

Applicants must provide all personal data necessary for an informed assessment, including general information such as name, address and contact details, as well as performance-related evidence and, where applicable, health-related information. Details of how to apply can be found in the job advertisement.

After receipt of the application by e-mail, the data will be stored and evaluated exclusively for the purpose of processing the application. In the event of queries, we use either the applicant's e-mail address or telephone number. The processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (or § 26 para. 1 BDSG), in the sense of which the application procedure is considered to be the initiation of an employment contract.

Insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 para. 1 GDPR (e.g. health data such as information on severely disabled status) are requested from applicants as part of the application process, the processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. b. GDPR so that we can exercise the rights arising from labor law and social security and social protection law and fulfill our obligations in this regard.

Cumulatively or alternatively, the processing of special categories of data may also be based on Art. 9 para. 1 lit. h GDPR if it is carried out for the purposes of preventive health care or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the applicant's fitness for work, for medical diagnostics, health or social care or treatment or for the management of health or social care systems and services.

If the applicant is not selected or if an applicant withdraws their application prematurely, their submitted data and all electronic correspondence, including the application email, will be deleted after 6 months at the latest following a corresponding notification. This period is based on our legitimate interest in answering any follow-up questions about the application and, if necessary, to be able to comply with our obligations to provide evidence under the regulations on equal treatment of applicants.

In the event of a successful application, the data provided will be processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (for processing in Germany in conjunction with § 26 para. 1 BDSG) for the purpose of implementing the employment relationship.

8) Rights of the data subject

8.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following data subject rights (information and intervention rights) vis-à-vis the controller with regard to the processing of your personal data, whereby reference is made to the stated legal basis for the respective exercise requirements:

Right to information pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR;
Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR;
Right to erasure pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR;
Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR;
Right to information pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR;
Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR;
Right to withdraw consent granted pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR;
Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR.

8.2 RIGHT OF OBJECTION

IF WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA AS PART OF A BALANCING OF INTERESTS ON THE BASIS OF OUR OVERRIDING LEGITIMATE INTEREST, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING AT ANY TIME WITH EFFECT FOR THE FUTURE ON GROUNDS RELATING TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED. HOWEVER, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE PROCESSING IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING WHICH OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR IF THE PROCESSING SERVES THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE OR DEFENSE OF LEGAL CLAIMS.

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED BY US FOR THE PURPOSE OF DIRECT MARKETING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA CONCERNING YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH MARKETING. YOU CAN EXERCISE YOUR OBJECTION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES.

9) Duration of storage of personal data

The duration of the storage of personal data is determined by the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing and - if relevant - additionally by the respective statutory retention period (e.g. retention periods under commercial and tax law).

When processing personal data on the basis of express consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, the data concerned will be stored until you withdraw your consent.

If there are statutory retention periods for data that is processed within the framework of legal or similar obligations on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR, this data will be routinely deleted after the retention periods have expired, provided that it is no longer required for contract fulfillment or contract initiation and/or we no longer have a legitimate interest in further storage.

When processing personal data on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, this data will be stored until you exercise your right to object in accordance with Art. 21 para. 1 GDPR, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

When processing personal data for the purpose of direct marketing on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, this data is stored until you exercise your right to object in accordance with Art. 21 para. 2 GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the other information in this declaration on specific processing situations, stored personal data is deleted when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.