International engagement privacy notice

We hold and process personal data about students. The personal data we hold about you consists of:

• Name
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Passport details (for incoming students)
• Contact details
• Photo image (if requested)
• Emergency contact details (for incoming students)
• English language test results (if applicable)
• Other relevant vocational/educational evidence (if applicable)
• Special needs (if applicable)
• Bank details (for outgoing students)
• Criminal conviction (if applicable)
• Academic transcript of records (for home institution)
• Academic transcript of records (for host institution)
• Images taken as part of events organised by the International Engagement Team
• Police check certificate (For applicable nursing students)
• Photos, videos and named quotes where you have entered any of our competitions
• Feedback provided in surveys and/or focus groups.

We receive this data from you when you complete the application form, take part in events organised by the International Engagement Team, and as part of your academic stay at Surrey or at a partner institution.

The University collects only the data we need and we keep the data up-to-date and only for as long as it is needed. We collect your personal data in order to:

• Manage your exchange/study abroad/summer school application
• Comply with visa requirements
• Contact relevant parties in case of emergency
• Comply with internal and external audits
• Promote the exchange/study abroad programme
• Enable you to enter into any of our competitions and/or surveys.

We take our obligations for data handling very seriously and it is therefore important for you to know the lawful basis for us processing your information:

When we use your data to manage your exchange or similar, we process data to ensure that we can carry out our public role as an educational and research establishment, meeting legal, moral and contractual obligations as laid out in the University’s Charter.

We also process data to meet our statutory and legal requirements, specifically Erasmus compliance, Turing Scheme compliance, HESA compliance, UKVI compliance.

We also process data in our legitimate interests to facilitate your exchange. These legitimate interests are determined through an assessment made by weighing our requirements against the impact of the processing on you. Our legitimate interests will never override your right to privacy and the freedoms that require the protection of your personal data.

We process data because you give us your consent, specifically to promote the exchange programme or summer school to other students. We do not use the data we collect to make decisions about individuals or to analyse information on an individual level.

The University processes personal data and special category data in accordance with data protection legislation and its own Our Data Policy Statement (PDF).

We combine the data you provide with data obtained from student records and the partner institution to keep a record of your student journey.

We use photos, videos and named quotes submitted by you for the promotion and marketing, where you have given us consent to process your data (e.g. entering one of our competitions or completing one of our surveys). We will use this to promote international opportunities to other students.

We keep your personal data in accordance with the University’s retention schedules. This means that your data is kept for 80 years and then destroyed.

Where you have provided us with photos, videos and named quotes with your consent (e.g. in a competition entry), you may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at: e.lynch@surrey.ac.uk.

In order to enable your exchange/summer school participation we share your personal data internally with:

• Student records
• Accommodation services
• Academic exchange co-ordinators/academic staff.

We share your personal data externally with the following third parties:

• The partner (or equivalent) institution
• QS Unisolutions MoveOn
• European Commission (for outgoing Erasmus)
• British Council – National Agency (for outgoing Erasmus)
• Turing Scheme Administrator – British Council and Ecorys UK (for outgoing Turing).

We do this in order to:

• Allow exchange recognition at the partner institution
• Maintain a record of your exchange required to facilitate the exchange process
• Meet reporting and audit requirements.

As an individual whose data we process (a data subject), you have certain rights in relation to the processing. You can find detailed information about your rights as a data subject on the University’s webpage. 

You have the right to:

• Withdraw your consent in circumstances where we are processing your personal data on that basis
• Ask us to confirm that your personal data is being processed and to access (i.e. have a copy) of that data as well as to be provided with supplemental information about the processing
• Request that we rectify any inaccuracies where the data we hold on you is inaccurate or incomplete
• Have your data erased by us, although in certain circumstances we may not be able to do this, for example, where we must comply with a legal obligation or in managing your health and social care. The circumstances where this applies can be found on the University’s data subject rights information webpage
• Restrict the processing of your personal data in certain ways
• Obtain your personal data for reuse
• Object to certain processing of your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact dataprotection@surrey.ac.uk. 

If you have any concerns about the way that we have handled your personal data please contact us as we would like to have the opportunity to resolve your concerns.  If you’re still unhappy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Please see their website at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.