International Relations privacy notice

Information you need to know

The International Relations department is part of Liverpool John Moores University. See further information on the institution.

Liverpool John Moores University is the Data Controller.

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

This privacy notice explains how we use your personal information and your rights regarding that information.

For information about how the wider university uses personal data please see the Privacy notice section of our website.

Information we are collecting

For inbound mobility programmes, we collect personal information including:

  • your name
  • date of birth
  • gender
  • nationality
  • home institution
  • your programme and level of study

For inbound summer school programmes, we also collect passport details.

For outbound mobility programmes, we collect:

  • your name
  • contact details (including your email address and telephone number)
  • date of birth
  • information about your programme, year and level of study

We also process information about your:

  • gender
  • nationality
  • domicile

Where relevant, we may also collect evidence relating to widening participation. This may include financial information already held within student systems, or information confirming circumstances such as estrangement or caring responsibilities provided by Student Welfare.

For some mobility programmes, we process special category personal data where this is necessary to support your participation and wellbeing. This can include:

  • health information, such as details of disabilities or SEND requirements
  • vaccination status
  • information about your ethnicity

Where LJMU arranges travel on your behalf, for example for outbound summer schools, we also collect:

  • passport details
  • information about dietary requirements
  • emergency contact details, including:
    • the contact’s name
    • address
    • telephone number
    • email address

Source of the personal data

Personal data relating to widening participation evidence is obtained from internal university sources. Financial information is obtained from the Student Information System (SIS), and information relating to SEND, estrangement or caring responsibilities is obtained from the Student Welfare team.

All other personal data is collected directly from the student.

Why we are collecting your data and the legal basis for this

We process personal data in accordance with the principles of the GDPR and only where there is a valid lawful basis to do so.

For inbound mobility programmes, we process personal data to administer and support your participation. This includes:

  • allocating participants to accommodation where required
  • recording participants on university systems
  • supporting students with visa applications

For outbound mobility programmes, we process personal data to administer participation in mobility opportunities. This includes:

  • allocating participants to programmes and partner institutions
  • arranging travel where required
  • administering and claiming funding from external organisations
  • identifying and supporting individual requirements
  • informing risk assessments

The lawful basis for this processing is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR, as it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest as part of the university’s functions.

Where we process special category personal data, such as health information, vaccination status or ethnicity, this is done with your explicit consent under Article 9(2)(a) of the UK GDPR.

Who has access to this data

Your personal data will only be accessed by relevant LJMU staff where it is necessary for them to carry out their role.

This may include staff such as:

  • your international mobility coordinator
  • your academic programme or subject lead

We may also share your personal data, where necessary, with external organisations involved in delivering mobility programmes or supporting your participation. These may include government bodies, funding organisations and partner institutions, such as:

  • Department for Education
  • British Council
  • European Commission
  • partner universities
  • internship or volunteering providers
  • travel providers or agents

How the university protects your data

We are committed to keeping your personal data safe in line with data protection legislation and the university’s information security and data protection policies.

Your personal data is stored securely on university systems, including secure shared drives, OneDrive and SharePoint, and is accessed only by authorised staff using secure login credentials. Where data is collected through online forms, this is done using university-approved systems.

In most cases, personal data is held electronically. Where paper records are required (for example, for some programme documentation), these are stored securely in locked cabinets with access restricted to authorised staff.

How long the university keeps your data

We retain personal data relating to mobility programmes in line with the university’s Records Retention Schedule.

  • Data relating to programme administration is kept until any associated analysis or follow-up activity has been completed.
  • Data relating to student administration and services is retained for the duration of your mobility programme and for six years afterwards.
  • Financial information relating to mobility funding is retained until the end of the relevant academic year and for six years afterwards.
  • Data relating to recruitment and application processes is retained for the duration of your relationship with the university and for six years afterwards.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

  • access and obtain a copy of your data on request - this could be in a portable electronic format
  • request that the university changes incorrect or incomplete data if you think that it is inaccurate or out of date
  • request that the university delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary or legally required for the purposes of processing

If your personal data has been provided by consent, you have a right to withdraw that consent at any time and can do so by emailing GoAbroad@ljmu.ac.uk.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

If you do not provide data

If you do not provide the personal data required, we may not be able to process your application or support your participation in a mobility programme.

In some cases, we may be able to direct you to partner institutions so that you can provide your information to them directly. However, where this is not possible, failure to provide the required data may affect our ability to offer you a place on a mobility programme.

Transfers of data outside the UK

We normally keep your personal data within the UK. In some cases, however, we may need to transfer it to another country - for example, to deliver a contract with you or to work with a partner organisation such as a university based overseas.

Whenever this happens, we make sure your information stays protected. This could be through a UK “adequacy regulation” (which confirms that the other country’s data protection laws are up to UK standards) or by putting strong safeguards in place.

These safeguards might include:

  • model contractual clauses
  • formal data sharing or processing agreements
  • binding corporate rules

In short, even if your data travels abroad, it will continue to be treated with the same care and respect as it would under UK law.

Automated decision-making

We do not use computers to make decisions about you based solely on your personal data. Any decisions that affect you will always be made by a human, ensuring that you are treated fairly.

How to complain to the university

You have a right to complain to the university if you think it has not properly responded to your request for personal information or feel it has not handled your personal data responsibly.

If you are not satisfied with how your request for information or how your personal data has been handled, you should set out your complaint in writing to:

Maria Burquest
University Secretary and General Counsel
Legal and Governance Services
2nd Floor Exchange Station
Tithebarn Street
Liverpool
L2 2QP

or by email via DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

How to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

You have the right to complain to The Information Commissioner if you believe that our processing of your personal data does not meet our data protection obligations. The Information Commissioner can be contacted using the following details:

  • Post: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK95AF.
  • Telephone: 0303 123 1113.
  • Email: contact can be made by accessing the ICO website.