Privacy Policy - University of York Europe Campus

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. Privacy Policy

Introduction

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. is committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring the protection of your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your information in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016/679 and applicable Greek data protection laws, notably Greek Law 4624/2019 on the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data, including the main provisions harmonizing Greek legislation with the GDPR. Our practices align with established standards in higher education and institutional data governance.

This statement outlines when and why we collect personal information, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others, and how we keep it secure. It applies to all use of our services and the fulfilment of our contractual obligations. It also covers individuals seeking employment at The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E..

Who We Are

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. is a non-state, not-for-profit university and the European branch campus of the University of York—one of the world’s premier institutions for inspirational teaching and life-changing research—established in Thessaloniki and Athens. Licensed to operate in Greece, with satellite activities in seven countries in Southeastern and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. is dedicated to advancing higher education and positioning Greece as an international education hub.

We offer bachelor’s, master’s and Phd degrees across diverse fields. Our students benefit from a wide range of extracurricular activities that nurture both collaboration and individuality, providing a platform for discovering and developing their unique talents and strengths.

Data Controller: The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E.
Supervisory Authority: Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA)

Purpose and Legal Basis for Collecting and Processing Personal Data

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. primarily collects and uses personal data to provide and manage its educational services. Additionally, we process data related to suppliers, partners, job applicants, and employees to meet our educational, administrative, and legal obligations.

This includes maintaining accurate student records, providing academic guidance, managing student services and institutional operations, meeting legal and regulatory obligations, invoicing, processing tuition and financial aid, supporting students with psychological or health needs, offering tailored academic and career support, facilitating employability and placement, administering scholarships, evaluating educational service quality, and providing alumni support.

For prospective students, we collect and process data to support the admissions process, evaluate qualifications and eligibility, and monitor visa and residence permit procedures, particularly for international applicants.

All processing is carried out for lawful, transparent, and specific purposes, including application processing, academic delivery, exam management, communications, event planning, legal compliance (e.g., audits and visa support), and institutional research and reporting.

Legal Basis for Processing

Processing is based on the following legal grounds:

Compliance with legal obligations
Fulfilment of contractual responsibilities
Consent of the data subject (where applicable). Consent is documented using consent forms and securely stored in our systems.
Legitimate interests and tasks carried out in the public interest

What Type of Data We Collect

We may collect personal identification data (such as name, contact details, date of birth, and address), demographic characteristics (including nationality and language), academic and application information (such as student number and academic records), financial information (including payment history and sponsorships), health and disability data (for support and accessibility), visa and immigration details (for non-EU students), and IT-related data (such as IP addresses and login activity).

How We Collect Your Data

Data is collected when you use our educational services, apply or enroll as a student, interact with our website or social media, or contact us by phone, email, or in person.

We may also obtain personal data from third-party sources such as public records, trusted partners, or social networks, but only if you have provided your consent for your data to be shared with third parties.

Data Sharing

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. shares your personal data only where necessary and always under strict safeguards.

This includes sharing data with authorized staff and departments; government agencies such as the Ministry of Education, HDPA, embassies, or immigration authorities; academic and administrative partners—including but not limited to CITY College and the University of York—under formal data-sharing agreements; external service providers, subcontractors, and recruiters acting on our behalf under Data Processing Agreements; and institutions students may transfer to or attend after graduation.

We may also disclose personal information when legally required or when we reasonably believe it is necessary to protect our rights or to comply with legal processes, court orders, or judicial proceedings. In such cases, we will ensure your rights remain protected.

Data may be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in specific, limited circumstances, and only with appropriate GDPR-compliant safeguards.

We do not sell or rent your data.

Data Retention

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. retains personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, while also considering our legal obligations, the need to address inquiries or complaints, and institutional safeguarding.

Personal data may be retained for the duration of your relationship with The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E., statutory retention periods or for a limited time after graduation. Certain records, such as academic transcripts and graduation data, may be stored indefinitely for legal and alumni verification purposes.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted. In cases where data is used for statistical purposes, it is anonymized.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including secure IT systems, encrypted communication, role-based access controls, and trained personnel. Data protection procedures are reviewed and updated regularly to maintain compliance and security.

Your Rights

Under GDPR and Greek data protection law, you have the following rights:

Right to Access – Request a copy of your personal data.
Right to Rectification – Correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Erasure – Request data deletion when it is no longer necessary to retain it, unless further retention is required by law.
Right to Restrict or Object – Restrict or object to certain types of processing, including those based on legitimate interest or direct marketing.
Right to Data Portability – Request transfer of your data to another data controller.
Right to Withdraw Consent – Withdraw your consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:

Email: dpo@city.yorkeuropecampus.eu

Please note that even if you withdraw consent, you may still receive essential administrative messages such as account notifications, order confirmations, or system alerts.

Use of Cookies and Web Beacons

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. uses cookies and web beacons (collectively referred to as “Website Navigational Information”) to collect data as you interact with our websites. This may include your browser type, language settings, IP address, and information about pages visited or links clicked.

This information is used to improve the performance and usability of our websites, support security measures, and better understand how visitors navigate our platforms. It may include technical data such as operating systems, referring pages, navigation paths, and domain of internet service providers.

Cookies and web beacons do not identify users personally unless combined with additional data you choose to provide.

For more information, please see our Cookie and Relevant Technologies Policy

Changes to this Privacy Policy

The University of York Europe Campus, CITY U.L.E. reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. The most recent version will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review it regularly to stay informed.

If we make significant changes affecting your privacy rights or the way we process data, we will notify you in advance by email or by posting a prominent notice on our website.