Data Protection

1. Preamble

Below, we provide information about the collection of personal data when using our website. Personal data is any data that can be related to you personally, e.g., name, address, email addresses, user behaviour.

2. Responsible party / Data protection officer

Responsible party for data processing

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management gemeinnützige GmbH
Adickesallee 32-34
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0) 69 154008-0
Fax: +49 (0) 69 154008-650
info@frankfurt-school.de
 

Data protection officer of the party responsible

intersoft consulting services AG
Beim Strohhause 17
20097 Hamburg
datenschutzbeauftragter@fs.de

Represented by: Prof. Dr. Nils Stieglitz, President

The hosting of the website is handled by Frankfurt School on AWS Servers and managed Service by Prodyna SE. The maintenance of the website is handled by Prodyna SE.

3. Which data is processed

a) General data collection when you visit our website 

When you use the website for informational purposes only, i.e. if you do not register, request brochures, sign up for seminars or webinars or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. If you wish to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security The legal basis for this is our overriding legitimate interest in the proper operation of our website in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR

The collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage of data in log files is essential for the operation of the website.

b) Data collection when using other functions of this website

In addition, our website offers different possibilities to register, log on or to contact us over online forms, with specification of personal data.
Included in this personal data, among other things, are: first name, last name, address, e-mail addresses, company, telephone and fax number, as well as different selection fields. Mandatory data details are marked with *. All other information is voluntary provided. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR if we use your data to conclude or fulfill a contract or otherwise on your consent Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR. In the latter case, you can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.
For a better overview of the options and purposes of data processing, the information is presented in tabular form.

4. Inquiries to general contact addresses or the contact form

You can contact us via email addresses or the contact form. The personal data transmitted to us in this way will be processed exclusively for the purpose of answering your question and will be deleted afterwards.

The legal basis for this is either your consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR or the necessity of processing to respond to the request within the framework of (pre-)contractual measures pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR. If we base the processing on the latter, your consent can be revoked at any time with effect for the future by sending an email to.

5. Cookies

a) General information

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are files that are stored on the user's computer system. When a user accesses a website, a cookie may be stored on the user's operating system. Cookies contain a string of characters that enable the browser to be identified when the website is accessed again.

b) Distinction between types of cookies

Technically necessary cookies

We use cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website require that the calling browser can be identified even after a page change.

Technically necessary cookies are not (always) essential for displaying the website. However, some functions of the website, such as the online campus, registration for seminars, etc., cannot be used properly without these cookies.

Cookies for range measurement

Cookies for range measurement collect information about how our website is used, e.g., website visits or error messages. The information collected is aggregated and evaluated anonymously.

Cookies for marketing purposes

We use cookies for marketing purposes to target our users with advertising that is relevant to their interests. We also use cookies to limit the likelihood of an advertisement being displayed and to measure the effectiveness of our advertising measures. This information may also be shared with third parties, such as ad networks.

Cookies for Performance purposes

6. Integration of third-party services and content

To optimise our online offering and make your visit to our website as pleasant as possible, we integrate content and services from third-party providers based on our overriding legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). To display this content to you, your IP address must be transmitted to these third-party providers. Under certain circumstances, additional data may be collected by third-party providers or pixel tags and/or cookies may be used. The extent to which this is the case can be found in the following sections on the respective integrated content.

Integration of YouTube videos

We are interested in providing you with a wide range of multimedia information. That is why we embed videos from YouTube (YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave. San Bruno, CA 94066 USA). The legal basis for this is our overriding legitimate interest in providing the embedded videos to users of our website in accordance with Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR.
YouTube is a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA. Through its certification under the EU-US Privacy Framework, YouTube guarantees compliance with european data protection law. https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active

The following data is transferred to Google as the operator of YouTube:

• the IP address,
• the specific address of the page accessed on our website,
• the transmitted browser identifier, and
• the system date and time of the request,
• existing cookies that can be used to uniquely identify your browser.

Google, as the operator of YouTube, is solely responsible for this data processing. Further information can be found here.

We would like to point out that Google may receive further data via cookies already stored on your device. The extent to which this data is used by Google is beyond our control. YouTube's privacy policy can be found here.

7. Social media

We operate channels on various social media platforms to communicate directly with you and provide you with interesting news from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

In doing so, we process the data of visitors to our channels, in particular information about user interactions (e.g., likes, comments, retweets), demographic and statistical data and the data transmitted to us in the context of messages and comments. The processing of the personal data of visitors of our online presences is based on our overriding legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Our overriding legitimate interest is to analyse the success of our website on the respective online presences to improve it and to contact visitors to our online presences if necessary.

The data will be deleted once the purpose has been fulfilled.

We would like to point out that when you use these social networks, the respective providers also have access to your data. This data may be used for market research and advertising purposes. We have no further knowledge of the data processing carried out by the providers of the social platforms concerned. We would like to point out that the references to the respective platforms integrated on our site are simple links. Data processing by the platforms only takes place when you visit them.
We would like to point out that the data processed when using social platforms and networks may be processed outside the European Economic Area.  The operators of the networks on which we operate a channel are generally certified under the EU/US Privacy Framework. An up-to-date overview of the certifications can be found at https://www.privacyshield.gov/. If the operators are not certified under the EU/US Privacy Framework, we rely on standard contractual clauses.

For a comprehensive overview of the respective data processing and opt-out options, please refer to the following pages of the providers:

8. Social media management tool Agorapulse

We would like to point out that we manage our channels on various social networks with the help of HubSpot. This is a social media management tool operated by Agorapulse SAS. (35 Bd de Sébastopol 75001 Paris, France). Agorapulse allows us to centrally manage and maintain all of our online presences on social networks. We can publish posts across networks, edit user responses, search social networks for mentions and analyse all your interactions with us.

Every time you interact with our social media profiles, the data stored in the profiles you use is stored in our Agorapulse account. This may include, for example, your name, gender, profile picture, profile URL, handle/username. The times of your interactions with our social media profiles are also recorded.

Processing is based on our overriding legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. Our overriding legitimate interest is to analyse the success of our web presence on online platforms to improve it.

The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose of processing no longer applies.

Further information on data protection at HubSpot can be found at: https://www.agorapulse.com/privacy-policy/

9. Use of analytics services

With your consent in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR, we use the following analytics services . Consent can be revoked at any time with effect for the future.

It is possible that when using these services, your data may be transferred to third countries. To legitimise this, the providers we use are certified according to the Data Privacy Framework or we have concluded standard contractual clauses with them.

The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose of processing no longer applies.

a) Google Tag Manager

This website uses Google Tag Manager. Google Tag Manager is a tool from Google that allows you to manage different types of tracking and marketing tags on a website or in a mobile app. Tags are small JavaScript codes that perform specific tasks, such as tracking website visitors or triggering advertising trackers. Google Tag Manager acts as a central interface where users can configure and publish tags themselves.

b) Web analytics service Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will evaluate your use of the website to compile reports on website activity and to provide other services related to website activity and internet usage to the website operator.

Your user behaviour is recorded during your visit to this website. The following data may be recorded

• Page views,

• First visit to the website,

• Start of session,

• Web pages visited,

• Your "click path," Interaction with the website,

• Scrolls,

• Clicks on external links,

• Internal search queries,

• Interaction with videos,

• File downloads,

• Ads viewed/clicked,

• Language settings,

Besides the data above, the following data may also be recorded:

• Your approximate location,

• Date and time of visit,

• Your IP address (in abbreviated form),

• Technical information about your browser and the devices you use (e.g., language settings, screen resolution),

• Your internet service provider,

• Your referrer URL.

We would like to point out that Google we use the function "gat._anonymizeIp();" to ensure anonymous collection of IP addresses (so-called IP masking). Your IP address will be truncated by Google within member states of the European Union or in other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there.

The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

Recipients of the data are/may be

• Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (as a processor pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR)

• Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

• Alphabet Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

The information collected by Google Analytics about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting your browser software settings accordingly. However, we would like to point out that if you at make this setting , you may only be able to use to our website to a limited extent . You can also prevent Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) and from processing this data by downloading and installing a  from browser add-on. If you click here, an opt-out cookie will be set to prevent future collection of your data when you visit this website .

In addition, we use Google Conversion Tracking in connection with Google Analytics. This enables us to track the behaviour of website visitors. For example, we can see how many files were downloaded from our website or how often the contact form was used. We can also see how many visitors to were directed to our website from external sources (AdWords, LinkedIn , Bing).

Further information on terms of use and data protection can be here:

https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html

https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/, and.

c) Google AdWords

To draw attention to our services, we place Google AdWords ads and use Google Conversion Tracking for the purpose of personalised, interest- and location-based online advertising. The option to anonymise IP addresses is controlled by Google Tag Manager via an internal setting that is not visible in the source code of this page. This internal setting is configured to anonymize IP addresses.

The ads are displayed on websites in the Google advertising network after search queries. We have the option of combining our ads with search terms. With the help of cookies, we can place ads based on a user's visits to our website. When a user clicks on an ad, Google sets a cookie on the user's computer that makes this possible.

Further information on the cookie technology used can also be found in Google's information on website statistics and in the privacy policy.

With the help of this technology, Google and we as a customer receive information that a user has clicked on an ad and been redirected to our websites. The information obtained in this way is used exclusively for statistical evaluation and ad optimisation. We do not receive any information that can be used to personally identify visitors. The statistics provided to us by Google include the total number of users who clicked on our ads on and, if applicable, whether they were redirected to a page on our website that has a conversion tag. Based on these statistics, we can track which search terms were clicked on our ad particularly often and which ads led to the user contacting us via the contact form.

If you do not want this, you can prevent the cookies required for these technologies from being stored, for example, via your browser settings. In this case, your visit will not be included in the user statistics.

You also have the option of selecting the types of Google ads or deactivating interest-based ads on Google via the ad settings. Alternatively, you can deactivate the use of cookies by third-party providers by calling up the deactivation help of the Network Advertising Initiative.

However, we and Google will continue to receive statistical information about how many users visited this site and when. If you do not want to be included in these statistics, you can prevent this by using additional programs for your browser (e.g., the Ghostery add-on).

d) Google Dynamics Remarketing

We use the dynamic remarketing function of Google AdWords on our website. This technology enables us to display automatically generated, target group-oriented advertising after you have visited our website. The ads are based on the products and services you clicked on during your last visit to our website.

Google uses cookies to create interest-based ads. Google stores information such as your web request, IP address, browser type, browser language and the date and time of your request. This information is used only to assign the web browser to a specific computer.

If you do not want to receive user-based advertising, you can disable the placement of advertisements using Google's ad settings.

For more information on how Google uses cookies, please refer to Google's privacy policy.

e) Double Click

We use DoubleClick, a service provided by Google LLC, 600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California, 9404. DoubleClick uses cookies to serve user-based advertisements. The cookies recognize which ad has already been displayed in your browser and whether you have accessed a website via a displayed ad.

If you do not want to receive user-based advertising, you can deactivate the display of advertisements using Google's ad settings.

For more information on how Google uses cookies, please refer to Google's privacy policy.

f) Hotjar

We use the web analytics service Hotjar to analyse the use of our website. Hotjar Ltd. (St Julian's Business Centre, 3, Elia Zammit Street, St Julian's STJ 1000, Malta) complies with the provisions of the Data Protection Act, Chapter 440 of the Laws of Malta ("Applicable Law"), which implements all relevant European Union directives on data protection.

Hotjar measures, records and evaluates user behaviour (mouse movements, clicks, scroll height, etc.) on our website. It also collects information about previously visited websites, your home country, devices used, operating systems, and browsers. The IP address of the end device is only collected and stored in anonymised form by setting the last octet of IPv4 addresses to 0 to ensure that the full IP address is never written on the hard disk. The collected data is transferred via an encrypted connection to servers located in Ireland (EU) and stored there.

The purpose of data processing is to improve the offering, the functionality of the Hotjar-based website, and thus the user experience. For this purpose, Hotjar also sets cookies on your end devices, among other things.

For more information about the cookies used, please visit: https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy/.

Hotjar itself offers the option of setting an opt-out cookie by clicking on "Deactivate Hotjar" at https://www.hotjar.com/legal/compliance/opt-out.

Deleting your cookies, operating in anonymous mode/private mode, or using a different browser will reactivate tracking.

Hotjar also respects your browser's do-not-track setting (https://help.hotjar.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002735873-How-to-Stop-Hotjar-From-Collecting-your-Data).

Further information on Hotjar's compliance with data protection regulations can be found here:www.hotjar.com/privacy.

g) Bing Universal Event Tracking (UET)

Our website uses Bing Ads technology to collect and store data, which is used to create usage profiles using pseudonyms. This is a service provided by Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA. This service enables us to track the activities of users on our website if they have accessed our website via Bing Ads advertisements. If you arrive at our website via such an ad, a cookie is set on your computer. A Bing UET tag is integrated into our website. This is a code that, in conjunction with the cookie, stores some non-personal data about the use of the website. This includes, among other things, the length of time spent on the website, which areas of the website were accessed, and which ad brought users to the website. Information about your identity is not collected.

The information collected is transferred to Microsoft servers in the US and stored there for a maximum of 180 days. You can prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website, as well as the processing of this data, by deactivating the setting of cookies. This may limit the functionality of the website.

In addition, Microsoft may use cross-device tracking to track your usage behaviour across multiple electronic devices, enabling it to display personalized advertising on or in Microsoft websites and apps. You can disable this at http://choice.microsoft.com/de-de/opt-out.

For more information about Bing's analytics services, please visit the Bing Ads website (https://help.bingads.microsoft.com/#apex/3/de/53056/2).

For more information about data protection at Microsoft and Bing, please refer to Microsoft's privacy policy (https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/privacy/privacystatement).

10. Privacy policy for FS events

a) In general

When you register for one of our events, we collect the personal data listed on the registration form. Your data is collected for the purpose of organizing the event. The legal basis for this is our overriding legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR.

Video recordings/photos may be taken at our events as needed. If you participate in one of these events on site, it is possible that you may appear in videos/photos on . The videos/photos are recorded for documentation and promotional purposes. If you do not wish to appear in videos/photos on , we ask you to position yourself accordingly in the event room. You are also welcome to inform the camera operator that you do not wish to appear in any videos/photos. The legal basis for this is our overriding legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. This consists of taking photos/videos for promotional purposes and for documentation of our events. In individual cases, we reserve the right to obtain your consent if this is legally required according to the nature of the event . The data will be deleted once the purpose has been fulfilled.

If you participate in one of our events online via one of our video conferencing tools, please note that our online events are recorded. The recordings are made for documentation purposes. You can see whether a recording is being made or not by the recording symbol in the tool you are using. If you do not agree to the recording of your audio and/or video participation, we ask you to adjust the appropriate settings and turn off your microphone and/or camera. The legal basis for the recording is our overriding legitimate interest, Art. 6 (1) lit. (f) GDPR. This consists of making the recordings for the presentation or documentation of our events. The data will be deleted once the purpose has been fulfilled.

In the above cases, your data will also be used exclusively for the purpose of conducting the event. Except for the processing by the video conferencing tools, your data will not be passed on to third parties.

b) Online events

We use Zoom to conduct conference calls, online meetings, video conferences and/or webinars (“online meetings”). Zoom is a service provided by Zoom Video Communications, Inc., 55 Almaden Boulevard, 6th Floor, San Jose, California, 95113.

When using Zoom, the following data is processed depending on the type of use

• User information: first name, last name, telephone number, email address, password, profile picture

• Meeting metadata: IP addresses, device/hardware information

• For recordings: video, audio, and presentation recordings, text file of the online meeting chat

• When dialing in by phone: Phone number, country name, start and end time of the call and, if applicable, other connection data such as the IP address of the device.

To enable image transmission and audio playback, data from the microphone and any camera on the end device is processed for the duration of the meeting. The camera and microphone can be turned off at any time.

In individual cases, we record webinars for internal use or publication. If we do so, participants will be informed of this before the webinar begins.

The legal basis for processing the data is our overriding legitimate interest in conducting online events in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR.

The processed data will be deleted after 90 days at the latest.

When using Zoom, data is transferred to the provider in the USA. The provider is certified according to the Data Privacy Framework. We have also concluded standard contractual clauses with the provider to ensure an adequate level of data protection.

Further information on data protection can be found in Zoom's privacy policy:

https://www.zoom.com/de/trust/privacy/privacy-statement/.

11. On what legal basis is the data processed?

a) Fulfillment of contractual and pre-contractual obligations

Our website offers the option of purchasing products and/or services from us or third parties or of first obtaining further information about them, possibly with an individual offer. When using these functions, you will be asked to provide further information. The legal basis for this data processing is the fulfillment of contractual or pre-contractual obligations in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR.

b) Granting of consent

Various functions of this website can only be used if you have given us your consent. These functions include, for example, subscribing to our newsletter. You will be informed separately at the functionally necessary points about data processing, the purposes of data processing, and your rights, in particular your right to revoke your consent at any time. If consent is given, the legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR. If we base the processing on your consent, this can be revoked at any time with effect for the future.

c) Legitimate interest

In addition, we sometimes process personal data when you use this website in our legitimate interest. In weighing up the interests pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, we have considered and balanced our interest in providing the service and your interest in the processing of your personal data in accordance with data protection regulations. Since this data is sometimes necessary for the provision of our service in order to offer you our website and also to ensure stability and security, in particular to provide protection against misuse, we have come to the conclusion that this data can be processed—with state-of-the-art data security measures in place—while taking your interest in data protection-compliant processing into account.

12. Transfer of data

Your personal data will only be transferred to third parties in accordance with the GDPR.

When data is transferred outside the European Union, the high European level of data protection does not generally apply. In individual cases, it may be that there is currently no adequacy decision by the EU Commission within the meaning of Art. 45 (1), (3) GDPR. This means that the EU Commission has not yet determined that the country-specific level of data protection corresponds to that of the European Union, particularly the GDPR, which is why we have put in place the aforementioned safeguards.

Possible risks that cannot be completely ruled out in connection with data transfer in individual cases include, in particular:

• Your personal data could potentially be processed beyond the actual purpose.

• In addition, there is a possibility that you may not be able to assert and enforce your data protection rights, such as your right to information, correction, deletion, or data portability, in a sustainable manner.

• There may also be a higher probability that data processing may be incorrect and that the protection of personal data may not fully meet the requirements of the GDPR in terms of quantity and quality.

To continuously improve our website, for advertising purposes, and to be able to offer you certain functions of this website, we rely on the use of processors. All processors are obliged to process the data only for the specific services defined by us. All processors have been carefully selected by us and have implemented sufficient technical and organizational measures to ensure data security. However, the third parties commissioned by us or our processors may be based outside the EU. In this case, we have ensured that our processors pass on their obligations under the GDPR to the service providers they commission to guarantee a level of data protection that complies with the GDPR.

13. Information on data subject rights

Every data subject has the right to information under Article 15 GDPR, the right to rectification under Article 16 GDPR, the right to erasure under Article 17 GDPR, the right to restriction of processing under Article 18 GDPR, the right to object under Article 21 GDPR, and the right to data portability under Article 20 GDPR. The restrictions under Sections 34 and 35 BDSG apply to the right of access and the right to erasure.

Information on the possibility of complaint

You also have the right to complain to the competent data protection supervisory authority about our processing of your personal data.

Information on revocation of consent

You can revoke your consent to the processing of personal data at any time. This also applies to the revocation of declarations of consent that were given to us before the General Data Protection Regulation came into force, i.e. before May 25, 2018. Please note that the revocation only takes effect for the future. Processing that took place before the revocation is not affected.

Right in the case of data processing for direct marketing purposes

Pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data at any time. If you object to processing for the purpose of direct marketing, we will no longer process your personal data for these purposes. Please note that the objection only applies to the future. Processing that took place before the objection was made is not affected.

Reference to the right to object in the case of balancing of interests

Insofar as we base the processing of your personal data on Art. 6 (1) (e) or Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, you have the right to object to the processing at any time for reasons arising from your particular situation. When exercising this right, we ask you to explain the reasons why we should not process your personal data as described by us. In the event of your justified objection, we will review the situation and either stop or adjust the data processing or explain our compelling legitimate grounds to you.

Links to other websites

Our websites may contain links to websites of other providers. We would like to point out that this privacy policy applies exclusively to the websites of www.frankfurt-school.de. We have no influence on and do not control whether other providers comply with the applicable data protection regulations.

14. Changes to the privacy policy

We reserve the right to change or adapt this privacy policy at any time in compliance with the applicable data protection regulations.