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Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 8, 2026

 

 

 

1. About this policy

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This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected and used through the website of the HOPE project, Higher Education for Openness, Peace, & Empathy.

The HOPE website is operated by:

Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU)
Estavromenos
Heraklion 71004
Greece

 

HMU coordinates the HOPE Consortium and is the primary data controller for personal data collected through this website.

 

Where a HOPE Consortium partner organises an event, course, survey, or other project activity, that partner may also process the personal data needed for that activity. The relevant form or event notice will identify the organising partner where applicable.

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2. Contact details

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Questions about this Privacy Policy or the use of personal data may be sent to:

 

HOPE Consortium
Email: hopecbhe@gmail.com

 

HOPE Project Coordinator
Professor Konstantinos Petridis
Email: c.petridischania@gmail.com

 

HMU Data Protection Officer
Email: dpo@hmu.gr

 

Postal correspondence may be sent to:

Hellenic Mediterranean University
Estavromenos
Heraklion 71004
Greece

 

3. Personal data we collect

 

We may collect personal data when you use the website, contact the project, register for an activity, subscribe to project updates, complete a survey, or create an account.

T

he information collected may include:

  • Your name and email address

  • Your institution, organisation, department, or professional role

  • Your country or location

  • Your telephone number, where requested

  • Information provided through contact forms

  • Event, course, webinar, or workshop registration details

  • Attendance and participation information

  • Newsletter and mailing-list preferences

  • Account and profile information

  • Survey responses, feedback, and evaluation results

  • Messages, questions, comments, and uploaded documents

  • Any accessibility or dietary information you choose to provide for an event

  • Consent preferences

  • Information connected with certificates, badges, or participation records

  • Technical information generated when you visit the website

 

Technical information may include your IP address, device type, browser type, operating system, referring page, pages visited, date and time of access, approximate location, cookie identifiers, and website interaction data.

Please avoid including sensitive personal information in free-text fields unless the information is specifically requested and needed for the stated purpose.

 

4. How we collect personal data

 

We collect personal data through:

  • Wix contact and registration forms

  • Newsletter subscription forms

  • Event and activity registrations

  • Surveys and evaluation forms

  • Website accounts or member areas

  • Email correspondence

  • Website cookies and analytics tools

  • Embedded services and external content

  • Information provided by an authorised HOPE event organiser

 

Wix processes website visitor data on behalf of the website owner. Wix describes the site owner as the controller and Wix as the processor for visitor data handled through its services.

 

5. How we use personal data

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Personal data may be used to:

  • Respond to enquiries and requests

  • Manage event, workshop, course, webinar, and conference registrations

  • Confirm attendance and send practical information

  • Create and administer website accounts

  • Deliver project newsletters and updates

  • Manage mailing-list preferences

  • Conduct surveys, evaluations, and feedback activities

  • Issue participation records, certificates, badges, or microcredentials

  • Communicate project activities, publications, opportunities, and results

  • Prepare anonymous or aggregated project statistics

  • Measure website use and communication activity

  • Maintain website security and prevent misuse

  • Meet Erasmus+ project management, reporting, audit, and record-keeping requirements

  • Support communication during the project and its 3-year continuation period

  • Comply with legal or regulatory duties

 

Survey findings and website statistics may be reported in aggregated form. Aggregated reports will not be designed to identify individual participants.

 

6. Legal grounds for processing

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Depending on the activity, we process personal data under one or more of the following grounds:

Consent

We rely on consent for activities such as:

  • Newsletter subscriptions

  • Optional analytics cookies

  • Optional third-party content

  • Voluntary surveys

  • Optional personal information

  • Photographs, recordings, or testimonials where separate consent is requested

 

You may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal applies to future processing and does not affect processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

 

Steps taken at your request

We may process personal data when you ask to register for an event, create an account, participate in an activity, receive a certificate, or obtain another project service.

 

Public-interest and educational activities

HMU may process data where this is required for its educational, research, institutional, or EU-funded project responsibilities and where the processing has an appropriate legal basis.

 

Legal obligations

Certain information may be retained or disclosed where required by law, the Grant Agreement, audit requirements, financial rules, or instructions from authorised public bodies.

 

Legitimate interests

Where permitted, data may be processed for website administration, security, communication management, record keeping, and the prevention of misuse.

 

7. Newsletters and project updates

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You will receive newsletters or regular project updates only after subscribing or otherwise agreeing to receive them.

Every newsletter will include an unsubscribe option. You may also unsubscribe by contacting hopecbhe@gmail.com.

After unsubscribing, your address will be removed from the active mailing list. A limited suppression record may be retained when needed to record and respect your unsubscribe request.

 

8. Events and activities

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Registration information may be shared with the HOPE Consortium partner responsible for organising the relevant event or activity.

 

The organiser may use the information to:

  • Manage attendance

  • Contact registered participants

  • Provide event materials

  • Arrange accessibility or dietary support

  • Issue certificates

  • Collect feedback

  • Prepare attendance statistics

  • Meet project reporting duties

 

Where an event is photographed, filmed, streamed, or recorded, participants will receive an event notice or a separate consent request where required.

Registration data will not be shared with consortium partners that have no role in the activity.

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9. Surveys and evaluation

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Survey participation may be voluntary unless a form clearly states that feedback is part of a specific training or project activity.

Survey results may be used to assess project activities and prepare internal or public reports. Public reporting will normally use anonymous or aggregated information.

Where a survey requests identifiable or sensitive information, the form should explain why the information is needed and how it will be used.

 

10. Cookies and analytics

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The website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Necessary cookies support functions such as security, account access, form operation, and storage of privacy preferences.

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With your consent, the website may also use:

  • Wix analytics

  • Audience measurement tools

  • Functional cookies

  • Social-media cookies

  • Cookies connected with embedded videos, maps, calendars, or feeds

 

Non-essential cookies should be activated only after you make a choice through the website’s cookie banner. Wix recommends collecting consent before placing non-essential cookies and keeping a record of visitors’ choices.

 

You may accept, reject, or adjust optional cookies through the cookie banner. You may change your selection later through the website’s cookie settings.

Further details should be provided in the website’s Cookie Policy.

 

11. Embedded content and external services

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The website may include content supplied by:

  • YouTube

  • Google Maps

  • Google Calendar

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • LinkedIn

  • Other social-media or media services used by the project

When this content is loaded, the external provider may receive information such as your IP address, browser data, device information, and details about the page you visited. The provider may also place cookies, depending on your consent settings and its own policies.

These providers may process information under their own privacy policies. Their processing is outside HMU’s direct control.

Links to external websites are provided for information. Visitors should review the privacy information of each external website they use.

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12. Who receives personal data

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Access may be given to:

  • Authorised HMU staff

  • The HOPE Project Coordinator and authorised project staff

  • The HOPE Consortium partner organising a relevant activity

  • Approved service providers that support the website, email delivery, analytics, surveys, events, or online learning

  • Wix and its approved subprocessors

  • Public authorities, auditors, funding bodies, or legal advisers where disclosure is required

Access is limited to people who need the information for the stated purpose.

We do not sell or rent website visitors’ personal data.

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13. International data transfers

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Wix and some embedded service providers operate internationally. Personal data may therefore be processed in the European Economic Area, Israel, the United States, or other countries.

Wix states that visitor data is initially processed by Wix.com Ltd. in Israel and may be transferred to Wix entities and subprocessors in other countries. Wix uses safeguards such as adequacy decisions and Standard Contractual Clauses where required.

Other providers may use their own transfer safeguards. Information about those arrangements is available in each provider’s privacy documentation.

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14. How long we retain personal data

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Unless a shorter period applies, project-related personal data may be retained until the end of the HOPE project and for 3 years after the project ends. This period supports sustainability activities, continued communication, reporting, evaluation, audit, and follow-up work.

Specific retention periods include:

  • Newsletter data: until you unsubscribe or until the end of the 3-year continuation period, whichever occurs first

  • Contact enquiries: until the enquiry has been resolved, followed by any necessary administrative retention period

  • Event registration data: until the event has been completed and related reporting, certification, financial, and audit duties have ended

  • Account data: while the account remains active or until a valid deletion request is completed

  • Survey data: for the period needed to analyse and report the results

  • Consent records: for the period needed to demonstrate that valid consent was obtained

  • Technical and cookie data: according to the duration stated in the Cookie Policy or the relevant service settings

Information may be retained for a longer period where required by law, the Grant Agreement, an audit, a dispute, or a binding request from a competent authority.

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15. Data security

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HMU and authorised project partners use technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or misuse.

Measures may include controlled administrator access, account permissions, secure service providers, access logs, backups, staff confidentiality duties, and account security procedures.

Internet transmission and online storage always carry some security risk. Visitors should use secure devices, protect account passwords, and avoid sending sensitive information through ordinary email unless requested.

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16. Your rights

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Subject to the conditions in data-protection law, you may request:

  • Access to your personal data

  • Correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Erasure of your data

  • Restriction of processing

  • Objection to certain processing

  • A portable copy of data covered by the right to data portability

  • Withdrawal of consent

  • Information about how your data is being used

The GDPR also gives individuals the right to complain to a supervisory authority.

 

Requests may be sent to:

  • hopecbhe@gmail.com

  • dpo@hmu.gr

We may ask for information needed to confirm your identity.

We aim to complete straightforward deletion requests within 3 working days after identity verification. Some information may have to be retained because of legal, contractual, audit, reporting, or security requirements. In those cases, we will explain the reason for continued retention.

GDPR requests must generally receive a response without undue delay and within 1 month, subject to the extensions allowed for complex requests.

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17. Complaints

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You may contact the HMU Data Protection Officer first if you have concerns about how your data has been handled.

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18. Children’s privacy

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The HOPE website is intended mainly for higher education students, educators, researchers, professionals, policymakers, and adult members of the public.

We do not actively seek personal data from children under 15.

A person under 15 should use consent-based forms, subscriptions, or accounts only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. If we learn that personal data was submitted without the required permission, the data will be removed where appropriate.

Parents or legal guardians may contact hopecbhe@gmail.com to ask about or request deletion of a child’s information.

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19. Automated decisions

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The HOPE website does not use personal data to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects through fully automated processing.

Website analytics may group visitors into general statistical categories, such as device type, country, traffic source, or pages viewed.

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20. Changes to this policy

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This Privacy Policy may be updated when the website changes, new project services are introduced, service providers change, or legal requirements are revised.

The latest version will be published on this page with an updated revision date. Material changes may also be communicated through the website or project mailing list.

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