Privacy Policy

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. HFThun 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 info(at)hfthun.ch

Your Personal Data are obtained from the following sources, depending on the situation:
• Directly from you, including on or through HFThun Websites, applications, tools, blogs, or correspondence with HFThun.
• From Subcontractors (for more information, please read the par. 2.5)
• From persons, partners or institutions linked to HFThun 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.

As a general principle, HFThun Websites recognize and collect certain data about your computer and connection, including the type of Internet browser you use, time spent on HFThun Websites, 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 Websites; 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, HFThun Websites 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. For further details, please see the full HFThun cookie policy.

Most of the brochures that are available for download on HFThun Websites do not require you to create an account. However, some downloads require 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 is used to send you HFThun program-related information, including information about programs, services, publications, courses, news and events, or feedback requests to improve them; you allow HFThun 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 are able to download the brochures and the concerned personal data are not used for the above-mentioned purposes; your personal data are 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.
For other online documents or services, please refer to section 1.3.

Using HFThun Websites 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 HFThun 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 HFThun programs, services, publications, courses, news and events, or to improve them; you allow HFThun to contact you for these purposes (by any means, including email, phone, or instant messaging).
Please note that HFThun may use Virtual assistants. They can be used notably to answer admissions questions or book a visit. By using this tool, you accept that conversations may be recorded for the purpose of continual service improvement.

If you registered for an event/meeting organized by HFThun, your personal data may 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 info(at)hfthun.ch

If you disagree with the content of this section, or section 1.2, please do not download, access and/or use the relevant Online Services.

During and after your studies or during your employment, you may have to take part in various surveys, organized by HFThun 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.

To access the online application, apply or enroll for one of HFThun’s programs, you are asked to provide various personal data.

Personal data are 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, before, during and after your studies, 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.

Depending on your personal situation, on your request or spontaneously depending on the case, HFThun 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 are 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.

Public Wi-Fi is available on our Campuses. To access it, you need to create a Wi-Fi account.
The data you provided are used for the following purposes: to identify you; to give you access to the Wi-Fi and solve any issue related to it; for security purposes; for our legitimate interests; to comply with legal obligations.
In addition, HFThun uses, or may use, Virtual assistants to create a Wi-Fi account or solve issues/questions related to Wi-Fi. Please note that for continuous service improvement, the conversation you have with the Virtual assistants may be recorded, as indicated in section 1.3.
If you disagree with the content of this section, please do not access the public Wi-Fi.

Please note that some of our campuses may be equipped with physical surveillance tools. The resulting data are:

• Data obtained through video protection images and recordings produced notably by fixed cameras, or bodycams ;
• Data relating to access to the premises;
• Data relating to the identification of the number plate of vehicles entering the car parks.
The related data are used for the following purposes: to prevent the perpetration of offences against persons or property; to detect incidents and accidents that may occur, and answer to it; to provide evidence in such situations; to facilitate external reponses (police, fire, emergency medical services); to respond to requests from the police or judicial authorities.

If you are a student or a staff, HFThun provides you or may provide you with the following services on one of the campuses: accommodation and parking.
Depending on your personal situation, the data you provided are 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.

To apply for a job within HFThun, you are or may be asked to provide various Personal data.
Personal data required are processed for the following purposes: to assess your job application, analyze your suitability for the job wished (including according to applicable legal obligations) and manage the selection process; to verify the information you have provided; to inform you of potential future opportunities; if applicable.
Since requested personal data are necessary to achieve the above-mentioned purposes, refusal to provide them may result in a removal of your application from the selection process.

During (and after) your studies, employment, or presence at HFThun, we may have to process your personal data for statistical purposes.

Personal data you provided are processed by authorized HFThun staff or by authorized persons/subcontractors acting on behalf of HFThun. 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:

HFThun 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.
• To keep your contact data as accurate as possible.
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 is limited to what is necessary to provide their service. HFThun assumes the responsibility of ensuring that these subcontractors offer sufficient guarantees to ensure the protection of your personal data.
Additionally, HFThun may have to share your personal information with persons, partners or institutions linked to HFThun programs, or in the context of joint degree programs.

At HFThun, 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.

Please make sure that all personal information you provide to HFThun 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 HFThun, please contact the relevant department that hold the concerned personal data. If you don’t know which department processes concerned personal data, please contact info(at)hfthun.ch

HFThun’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 Websites and Services. Please periodically review this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the changes made, you must stop accessing and/or using the impacted Services.

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 Courts of Bern, Switzerland.

Questions or requests regarding this privacy policy and any use made of your data should be directed to: info(at)hfthun.ch