PRIVACY
POLICY

Villars Palace Academy (hereinafter: “VPA”, “we” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy policy explains how your Personal Data are processed by VPA.

Our Website contain links to other sites. Although the VPA logo and references to VPA may appear on some third-party websites, this Privacy Policy does not apply to these third-party websites. Users are encouraged to read the privacy statements of every website that collects personally identifiable information.

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1. Personal Data, Sources and Principles

Personal Data means: any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly. Processing means: any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data. VPA may ask you to provide different types of personal data depending upon the materials and services you wish to access. This information is collected in the ways defined below, and is released in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy. Should you want further details, please contact admissions@vpacademy.ch

Your Personal Data are obtained from the following sources, depending on the situation:

• Directly from you, including on or through VPA Website, applications, tools, blogs, or correspondence with VPA.
• From Subcontractors (for more information, please read the par. 2.5)
• From persons, partners or institutions linked to VPA programs, or in the context of joint degree programs.
• From other third parties, like for instance a study advisor or a third party website, if you have agreed to your data being provided to us, or if concerned third parties were entitled to provide the data to us.

1.1. Browsing

As a general principle, VPA Website recognize and collect certain data about your computer and connection, including the type of Internet browser you use, time spent on VPA Website, the pages visited and the IP address of your internet service provider (ISP).

The Data collected may be used for the following purposes: to monitor and improve our Website; to fulfill security purposes; to provide you with an excellent customer experience; to ensure that we provide you with the proper information; to monitor our performance.

Moreover, VPA Website may place a session ID on your browser or retrieve information from your browser using cookies. You can choose not to allow different types of cookies but blocking them may impact your experience and certain functionalities of the website, thereby affecting the services we offer. Please click here to see the full VPA cookie policy.

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1.2. Brochure downloads

Most of the brochures that are available for download on VPA Website do not require you to create an account. However, some downloads will prompt you to fill in a form with basic information such as first name, last name, phone number and email address.

If you agree on it on the concerned webform, the personal data you provided in this case will be used to send you VPA program-related information, including information about programs, services, publications, courses, news and events, or feedback requests to improve them; you allow VPA to contact you for these purposes (by any means, including email, phone, or instant messaging).
If you don’t agree to receive such program-related information, you will be able to download the brochures and the concerned personal data will not be used for the above-mentioned purposes; your personal data will be kept for a limited period of time, only in order to provide you with relevant information if you subsequently show a real and repeated interest that it may be useful to you. If it’s not the case, and unless another purpose/rule apply, the concerned personal data are erased from the database at the end of the period.
You can choose to stop receiving our emails and marketing communications at any time. To opt out of email communications, use the unsubscribe link which is clearly displayed at the bottom of all the email communications we send, or contact admissions@vpacademy.ch
For other online documents or services, please refer to section 1.3.

1.3. Online Services
Using VPA Website or applications enables you to access various online documents or services, such as surveys, chats, blogs, newsletters, contact tools, event/meeting registration forms and applications (collectively referred to as “Online Services”), provided by VPA or through subcontractors.
By downloading, accessing and/or using these Online Services, you agree that the personal data you provided may be used for commercial and marketing purposes, to provide you with relevant information about VPA programs, services, publications, courses, news and events, or to improve them; you allow VPA to contact you for these purposes (by any means, including email, phone, or instant messaging).
If you registered for an event/meeting organized by VPA, your personal data will in addition be used for organizational purposes.
You can choose to stop receiving our emails and marketing communications at any time. To opt out of email communications, use the unsubscribe link which is clearly displayed at the bottom of all the email communications we send, or contact admissions@vpacademy.ch
If you disagree with the content of this section, please do not download, access and/or use the relevant Online Services.

1.4. Online Surveys
During and after your studies, you may have to take part in various surveys, organized by VPA or others institutions. In order to allow you to participate, we may (within the framework of our legitimate interests) share your contact details and identity to the institutions in question.
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1.5. Application, registration & enrolment forms for VPA programs
To access the online application, apply or enroll for VPA’s programs, you are asked to provide various personal data.
Personal data will be processed for the following purposes: to give you relevant information; to evaluate the suitability of your application; to establish and/or manage our relationship with you (including contractual, administrative and invoicing aspects); to comply with our obligations and deliver our services to you (including courses, trainings, access to academic and non-academic services and other services); to fulfill organizational purposes.
Since requested personal data are necessary for contractual purposes, refusal to provide them will make it impossible to conclude the relevant contract with you.
In addition, we may have to process your personal data to comply with any legal obligation, and to protect your vital interests, if applicable.

1.6. Services after the end of your studies
Depending on your personal situation, on your request or spontaneously depending on the case, VPA may have to contact you or provide you with some services after the end of your studies (for instance: attestations, refunds, information on graduation ceremonies, etc…)
Related personal data will be processed for the following purposes, depending on the situation: to give you relevant information; to deliver the concerned services to you and comply with our obligations to you; to fulfill organizational purposes.

1.7. Housing and accommodation on campus
If you are a student, VPA provides you or may provide you with the following services on campus: accommodation and parking.
Depending on your personal situation, the data you provided will or may be used for the following purposes: to give you relevant information; to find the most suitable accommodation to you (including according to your wishes); to establish and/or manage our relationship with you (including contractual, administrative and invoicing aspects); to deliver our services to you, and solve any issue related to it.
Since requested personal data are necessary for contractual purposes, refusal to provide them will make it impossible to conclude the relevant contract with you.
In addition, we may have or may be required to process your personal data for security purposes or to comply with legal obligations.

1.8. Statistics
During and after the end of your studies, we may have to process your personal data for statistical purposes.

1.9. Data Disclosure
Personal data you provided will be processed by authorized VPA staff or by authorized persons/subcontractors acting on behalf of VPA. We do not sell, rent, disclose or otherwise make available any personal information to third parties, except as described in this Privacy Policy or in other applicable rules.
However, we reserve the right to disclose information to authorities or third parties when it’s legally mandatory, required in connection with legal or regulatory proceedings or in relation with our legitimate interests. Additionally, your personal data may be shared in the following ways:
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2.0. Subcontractors and third-party institutions
VPA uses subcontractors for the following purposes:

• To ensure the providing of certain services
• For business support purposes
• To make possible the execution of our obligations toward you
• To make possible the data processing activities described in this policy.

Your data may be provided to us by these subcontractors, or shared with these subcontractors. In this case, any personal data we shared with them will be limited to what is necessary to provide their service. VPA assumes the responsibility of ensuring that these subcontractors offer sufficient guarantees to ensure the protection of your personal data.
Additionally, VPA may have to share your personal information with persons, partners or institutions linked to VPA programs, or in the context of joint degree programs.

2.1. How VPA protects your personal data
At VPA, we take appropriate and reasonable security measures to protect your personal data. We take appropriate organizational and technical security measures to ensure that any personal data we hold is not accessed by unauthorized persons.

2.2. Storage and International Data Transfer
The information you provide to us is stored in:

• Switzerland, or
• in the European Economic Area (EEA) , or
• In countries outside EEA.

The countries outside EEA may not have the same data protection laws as your country of residence. However, we will protect your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws, wherever it is transferred. If you want more information regarding this paragraph, please contact us at admissions@vpacademy.ch.

2.3. Changing and updating personal information
Please make sure that all personal information you provide to VPA is accurate, and ensure that this information remains accurate and up to date. If you think that there is a mistake in your personal data hold by VPA, please contact the relevant department that hold the concerned personal data. If you don’t know which department processes concerned personal data, please contact admissions@vpacademy.ch

2.4. Your rights
Under the data protection regulations, you have a number of rights with regard to your personal data. You have the right to request from us access to your personal data, rectification or erasure of your personal data; you have the right to restrict, or to object to processing of your data. You have rights in relation to automated decisions making and profiling, as well as in certain circumstances the right to data portability. Where we are processing data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
The rights are subject to some exceptions and will not always apply to all circumstances. Upon request, your personal data, including your contact details, shall be deleted from our marketing database. To access your personal information, get any information related to it, or ask for deletion, please contact VPA at admissions@vpacademy.ch

2.5. Changes or Updates to this Privacy Policy
VPA’s Privacy Policy is subject to change following changes in the applicable laws. We may also need to change this Privacy Policy from time to time as we improve our Website and Services. Please periodically review this Privacy Policy.

2.6. Applicable law
The present privacy policy is subject to Swiss law. Any dispute arising out or in connection with this Privacy Policy shall be exclusively settled by the court at the place where VPA is located.

2.7. Questions
Questions or requests regarding this privacy policy and any use made of your data should be directed to: admissions@vpacademy.ch

Last modified: June 2021

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