MSP Alumni Network Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2025

Introduction

Your privacy is important to the Maastricht Science Programme (MSP) at Maastricht University. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data through the MSP Alumni Network website and related activities.

The MSP Alumni Network operates under the umbrella of Maastricht University's alumni engagement activities. For UM's general privacy practices, please refer to the UM General Privacy Statement.

Data Controller

For privacy-related inquiries: privacy@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Data Protection Officer: fg@maastrichtuniversity.nl

What Personal Data We Process

Data we receive from UM student records:

• Name and contact details (email, phone, address)
• Date of birth and nationality
• Educational information (programme, graduation date)

Data you provide directly:

• Current location
• Career information (employer, job title)
• Post-MSP education (Master's programme, university)
• Communication preferences
• LinkedIn profile (optional)

Data from public sources:

As part of maintaining accurate alumni records, we may review publicly available professional information on LinkedIn to verify educational paths and track career outcomes. We always give you the option to opt out of this.

Data displayed on the public website:

The MSP Alumni Network website displays aggregated, anonymized statistics only, including:

• Number of alumni by graduation year
• Geographic distribution (countries, not individuals)
• Types of Master's programmes pursued (categories, not individuals)
• Career sectors (aggregated)

Purposes of Processing

We process alumni data for the following purposes:

1. Alumni engagement: Maintaining contact, sending newsletters, inviting to events
2. Statistical analysis: Understanding alumni outcomes to improve MSP and inform prospective students
3. Regional development: Providing anonymized data on graduate retention for stakeholders
4. Recruitment support: Sharing aggregate success stories with prospective students
5. Network facilitation: Enabling alumni-to-alumni connections (with consent)

Legal Basis

We process your personal data based on:

• Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR): Alumni engagement and institutional research are legitimate interests of Maastricht University. We have conducted a balancing test to ensure your rights are protected.
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR): For optional activities such as featuring your story publicly, participating in mentorship programmes, or joining WhatsApp groups.

You may object to processing based on legitimate interest at any time (see Your Rights below).

Data Retention

Alumni data is retained indefinitely for longitudinal research and community maintenance, unless you request deletion. This is because alumni relationships are genuinely lifelong, and the value of tracking outcomes increases over time.

If you request deletion, we will remove your personal data except where retention is required by law (e.g., degree verification records).

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with:

• Maastricht University central services: Alumni Office, Marketing & Communications
• Research partners: Only anonymized/aggregated data for academic research
• Technical service providers: Website hosting, email services (EU-based)

We do not share individual contact details with third parties without your explicit consent.

International Data Transfers

Your data is stored within the European Union. If any processing requires transfer outside the EU, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

Cookies and Analytics

This website uses:

• Essential cookies: Required for website functionality
• Privacy-friendly analytics: No personal data collected

We do not use tracking cookies or share data with advertising networks.

Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the right to:

Right	Description
Access	Request a copy of your personal data
Rectification	Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Erasure	Request deletion of your data (with some exceptions)
Restriction	Limit how we process your data
Portability	Receive your data in a structured format
Object	Object to processing based on legitimate interest
Withdraw consent	Withdraw previously given consent at any time

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

• Access restricted to authorized MSP staff only
• Secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS)
• EU-based hosting

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Significant changes will be communicated via email to registered alumni.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may:

1. Contact us at msp-alumni@maastrichtuniversity.nl
2. Contact the UM Data Protection Officer at fg@maastrichtuniversity.nl
3. File a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens)