Privacy Policy

The data you provide as part of registering for any of our services, including title, name, and email address, will be processed and used to provide you with news and information about MCI, its services, activities, developments, etc.

You will be asked to grant your consent for the processing of this data. Only then will it be processed. This consent can be withdrawn at any time by sending an email to the address provided in the newsletter (unsubscribe@mci.edu) or to datenschutz@mci.edu.

The data you provide as part of your application (e.g. your title, name, address, email address, date of birth, nationality, CV, certificates, etc.) will be transmitted for the purpose of handling your application, verifying your meeting the respective study requirements, and proceeding with respective application procedures.

The processing of your data is required to fulfill legal obligations in accordance with the University of Applied Sciences Studies Act, § 4, 4ff. and § 11, and to implement pre-contractual measures.

In the case of admission to studies or further training at MCI, your data will be stored in accordance with the deadlines set out in Section 5. Should your application be rejected, the data provided will be deleted within three years of the date of rejection of your application, unless you have given your consent to the further processing of your data for the purpose of record keeping.

Our students’ personal data is processed for the purpose of fulfilling study or further training contracts as well as the relevant legal regulations such as set out in the University of Applied Sciences Studies Act, Federal Act on Documentation in the Educational System or Federal Fiscal Code.

Your studies-related data, including name, matriculation number, examination data, etc., is stored for at least 80 years in compliance with the University of Applied Sciences Studies Act, § 13, 8. All other personal data of the respective student file is stored for 30 years after graduation or withdrawal from studies.

On its website, MCI regularly publishes data and information on graduates, including information on their completed study programs, the subject of their theses, and the partner universities at which they may have spent a semester abroad. MCI is authorized to do so by the Austrian Research Organisation Act, § 2h, 1 and § 2g, 1, 3.

Student data may further be passed on to the following recipients outside of MCI for the purpose of fulfilling contracts and legal obligations: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation, Federal Ministry of Finance, Austrian Students’ Union, MCI Student Council, tax offices, social security institutions, Austrian Study Grant Authority, and MCI partner institutions involved in studies abroad and double or multiple degree programs.

The processing of personal data in the context of online courses and online examinations is carried out for the purpose of fulfilling educational contracts, the relevant statutory provisions (e.g. Universities of Applied Sciences Act, etc.) and the legitimate interests pursued by MCI (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f) DSGVO) for the fulfillment of the teaching and educational mission.

Insofar as this is necessary or serves the purpose, courses may be recorded after the persons concerned have been informed in advance in order to make them available to the students of the respective course at a later date.

Furthermore, examinations can be taken online, with the entire testing process being supervised by MCI (online proctoring via webcam, proctoring software, etc.).

To control the mandatory attendance, a mere check of the electronic attendance is not always sufficient, which is why the MCI can also carry out attendance controls by checking activities.

The data processed may include, in particular, name, matriculation number, e-mail address, IP address, technical log data, image and sound data, chat content, etc. The data processing may  include, in particular, data of students as well as MCI staff and teaching staff.

Depending on the purpose and requirements of the course or program in question, online course data may also be stored beyond the duration of the semester in question, but for no longer than three years after completion of the relevant cohort of courses.

Student data may be transferred to recipients outside the MCI for the purpose of fulfilling contracts and legal obligations: Providers of online teaching platforms, proctoring software, etc.

The contact data provided in the context of the MCI Alumni & Friends membership (e.g. title, name, and email address) will be processed and used for providing you with information and news about MCI and its events such as alumni lectures, alumni weekends, summer clubbing, etc.

Your data will, however, only be processed once we have received your express consent to do so. This consent can be withdrawn at any time by sending an email to the address provided in the info mail and invitation (unsubscribe@mci.edu) or to datenschutz@mci.edu.

The data you provide as part of registering for MCI events, such as alumni meetings, information sessions, lectures of the alumni series, conferences, and congresses, will be processed by us for the purpose of organizing and carrying out the respective event and providing any related services (e.g. room reservations). The data thus processed may include your title, name, email address, etc.

Based on the legitimate interests pursued by MCI, this information will further be stored and used to send you newsletters with information and news about MCI and its events and activities. You may revoke consent to the processing of your personal data and unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by sending an email to the address provided (unsubscribe@mci.edu) or to datenschutz@mci.edu.

Images and/or video recordings considered as personal data under the GDPR may be generated in the course of any of our events. They may also be stored and further used on websites and social media for marketing and public relations purposes.

These images and/or video recordings may be processed based on the legitimate interests pursued by MCI for the duration of their use for marketing and public relations purposes.

If you take part in an online event organized and conducted by the MCI (e.g. meetings, admission procedures, lectures, alumni events, info sessions, open houses, congresses, other events, etc.), the data you disclose or transmit when registering or participating (e.g. title, name, e-mail address, IP address, technical log data, image and sound data, chat content, other event-related data, etc.) will be processed for the purpose of organizing and conducting these meetings and any related services.

The data you disclose will be processed either for the purpose of pre-contractual measures, the fulfillment of MCI contracts or on legitimate interests pursued by MCI in the organization of online meetings and events and the use of up-to-date and technically effective software solutions (Art. 6 para. 1 lit f DSGVO).

For the purposes of marketing or press and public relations work, the production and further use (website, social media, etc.) of image and/or video recordings may occur in the course of events, which under certain circumstances may be regarded as personal data within the meaning of the GDPR.

The processing of image and/or video recordings is based on legitimate interests pursued by MCI and is carried out in any case for the duration of their use for marketing and/or press and public relations purposes.

The personal data processed will be stored until the purpose has been achieved, unless there is a longer retention period or obligation.

If, in particular cases, an event is recorded, you will be informed of this separately.

For the purpose of processing and handling projects, including study projects, practical projects, and R&D projects, we are required to process any relevant personal data collected from clients, project partners, project staff, and other parties involved in respective projects. In particular, master and contact data are recorded, as well as information on the project and other personal data generated as part of the project handling.

The processing of personal data is carried out for the purpose of fulfilling our legal teaching and research assignments and, if necessary, research cooperation agreements, grant agreements, R&D contracts, etc.

All personal data is stored in accordance with the relevant legal provisions (e.g. Research Organisation Act, Federal Fiscal Code) and/or contractual provisions and obligations.

If you support MCI in the performance of its teaching and research activities in the fields of business and society or technology and life sciences by participating in surveys, tests, etc., we will store and process the personal data provided by you in an anonymous format wherever possible.

Your personal data is further processed solely for the purpose of fulfilling our legal teaching and research assignments.

In accordance with the Research Organisation Act, § 2f, 3, 1f., we may store your data to prove our compliance with good scientific practice for at least ten years or to assert, exercise, and defend legal claims for up to 30 years.

The data you provide in your application (e.g. title, name, address, email address, date of birth, nationality, CV, certificates, etc.) will be processed for the purpose of handling your application.

When filling positions which require the involvement of appointments committees, in particular faculty or management positions, we may forward your application data to commission members outside the company who serve as experts in the relevant appointment committees.

Your data will, however, only be processed once we have received your express consent to do so and for the purpose of implementing pre-contractual measures.

External applicant management systems are used to process your personal data on the basis of contracts pursuant to Art. 28 DSGVO (commissioned processing).

Should your application be rejected, the data collected will be deleted after six months from the date of completion of the relevant application procedure, unless you have given your consent to the further processing of your data for the purpose of record keeping. This consent can be withdrawn at any time.

For the purpose of protecting its property and increasing security for students and staff, MCI has equipped selected areas of the MCI buildings with video surveillance cameras. Video surveillance is used in the public areas, such as entrance areas, corridors, and staircases, as well as in areas and rooms which, due to their purpose and equipment, have a special need for protection and surveillance; these include server rooms, laboratories, chemical storages, etc.

The recordings are limited to image data – acoustic input is not recorded – and are generated by use of the Privacy ProtectorTM system from KiwiSecurity. This allows us to automatically pixelate any personal image data even in the live recordings of the surveillance cameras and, thus, make any recorded individuals unrecognizable.

The collected data may be processed based on the legitimate interests pursued by MCI for the prevention and investigation of criminal offenses committed in MCI’s publicly accessible buildings.

Video recordings are only analyzed in the event of a police report or other suspicion of a criminal offense.

If necessary, analysis results and/or data exports may be transmitted as evidence to respective authorities or courts.

The collected data is stored for 72 hours. Any relevant analysis results and/or data exports will be stored for as long as is necessary to enforce legal claims or protect legitimate interests.

You have the right to request information as to whether and to what extent your personal data is processed by MCI.

If the personal data processed by you is incomplete, incorrect or no longer up to date, you can request that it be corrected or completed at any time.

If one of the following reasons applies and there are no other requirements for the storage and processing of your personal data, such as statutory retention and archiving obligations, assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims, etc., you have the right to demand the immediate deletion of your personal data:

• the purpose for which the data was collected no longer applies;

• the consent required for the processing is withdrawn

• the processing is unlawful;

• MCI does not have an alleged overriding legitimate interest.

You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data if one of the following conditions is met:

• for the duration of the verification of your data by MCI, if you contest the accuracy of your data;

• the processing of your data is unlawful, but you request restriction instead of erasure;

• the MCI no longer needs your data for the purposes of the processing, but you still require the storage of your data for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims;

• if you object to the processing of the data, until the existence of any legitimate interests of MCI has been verified.

You have the right to request the provision and transfer of your personal data in a common and machine-readable format if the requirements of Article 20 GDPR are met.

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data at any time, provided that the MCI processes it for the performance of a task assigned to it, which is in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority, or the processing is carried out to safeguard the legitimate interests of the MCI. Even if your data is processed for the purpose of direct advertising, you can object to this at any time.

If you have reason to believe that the processing of your personal data does not take place in accordance with European and Austrian data protection laws, please contact us at datenschutz@mci.edu so that we can examine and clarify any questions pertaining to the issue. Notwithstanding the above, you have the right at any time to file a complaint against unlawful data processing with the Austrian Data Protection Authority (https://www.dsb.gv.at), the competent supervisory authority.

For reasons of security and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as requests submitted to us as the operators of the website, we use SSL encryption. A secure connection is indicated by the website prefix changing from http to https as well as the presence of the lock icon in the address bar.

Our website may use so-called cookies. They help us improve the user friendliness, efficiency, and security of our product. Cookies are small data files, created and stored by the Internet browser on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies do not damage computers and do not contain viruses.

With the exception of functional cookies, which are technically necessary for the correct display and functioning of the website, cookies are only collected with your consent.

To process, manage and document your consents, we use the consent management solution Cookiebot from the company Cybot A/S, Havnegade 39, 1058 Copenhagen, Denmark. We strive to comply with the applicable requirements regarding the conformity of the collection of your consents and therefore continuously adapt our consent solution and implementation.

You can enable or disable those cookies that go beyond what is technically necessary using our Consent Management solution. Your chosen settings are stored for the duration required to achieve the purpose.

Our website primarily uses session cookies. When you close your browser, these will be automatically deleted. Other cookies, however, will remain on your computer until you delete them yourself. They allow our server to recognize your computer whenever you visit one of our pages, collecting personal data such as name, address, credit card number, or IP address.

You can set your browser to inform you that cookies are being stored, to allow only individual cookies to be stored, to refuse specific cookie types or cookies in general, or to automatically delete any cookies upon closing the browser. Deactivation of cookies may, however, affect the functionality of our website.

In connection with Google Ads, we also use the technical extension “Enhanced Conversions.” This involves us hashing certain personal data, such as email addresses, which you voluntarily provide to us as part of a conversion action, and transmitting it to Google. This enables improved attribution of conversions across different devices and helps to optimize our advertising campaigns.

The transmitted hash values do not allow any direct conclusions to be drawn about individuals; Google uses them exclusively for the anonymized evaluation of ad performance. Your prior consent via our consent tool is required for data processing. In this context, Google acts as a processor in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR.

If you wish to object to the use of enhanced conversions, you can do so at any time via our consent tool.

Our website uses Google Analytics. The provider of this web analytics service is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Google Analytics uses so-called cookies. These are small data files, created and stored by the Internet browser on your computer’s hard drive to enable the analysis of your progress through our website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website may be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.

Further information about the handling of personal information by Google Analytics is provided in the Google Privacy Policy at: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

• Browser add-on
  You may prevent cookies from being stored on your computer by deactivating respective browser settings. Please note however that, in this case, certain functions of our website might no longer be fully available to you. You may also prevent Google from collecting and processing personal data generated by cookies and associated with your use of the website, including your IP address. Please install the opt-out browser add-on available for download at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

• Opting out of data collection
  You may prevent the collection and use of data by Google Analytics by clicking the link provided below. An opt-out cookie will be set, which prevents the collection of your data on future visits to this website: link 

• IP anonymization
  Our website uses the IP anonymization feature of Google Analytics. Google will truncate your IP address in member states of the European Union and other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and thus make it anonymous before any processing or storage takes place. Only in exceptional cases will your full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there. On behalf of the operators of this website, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for us, and providing other services relating to website activity and Internet usage.

In relation to Google Analytics, we also use the technical extension "Google Signals", which enables cross-device tracking. This allows associating a single website visitor with different end devices. However, this only happens if the visitor has logged into a service of Google when visiting the website and, at the same time, has activated the option "personalized advertising" in their Google account settings. Even then, however, we do not have access to any personal data or user profiles. They remain anonymous to us. If you do not wish the use of "Google Signals", you can deactivate the option "personalized advertising" in your Google account settings. You may refuse the storage of cookies by selecting the respective settings on your browser. However, please note that doing so prevents you from using the full functionality of this website. In addition, you can prevent the collection of data (incl. your IP-address) to Google, which is generated by this cookie and related to your use of the website, and the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser Add-on available here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

This website uses so-called Google Fonts ensuring the homogeneous display of fonts. Whenever you visit our website, your browser will cache the required fonts to be able to correctly display text and relevant fonts. If you visit our website using an unsupported browser, the text will be displayed in a default font of your computer.

For further information about Google Fonts please visit https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq or refer to the Google Privacy Policy at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

This website uses Google Maps APIs provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. To use Google Maps, we are required to store your IP address. This information will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. As the operators of this website, we have no influence on this transmission of data. Further information about the use of user information can be obtained from the Google Privacy Policy at: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/.
The information generated by cookies and web beacons about your use of this website, including your IP address, as well as about respective advertisements, may be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. This information may be disclosed by Google to Google’s contract partners. Google will, however, not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.
You may prevent the installation of cookies by deactivating respective browser settings. Please note that, in this case, individual functions of our website might no longer be fully available to you. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

We partner with Microsoft Clarity and Microsoft Advertising to capture how you use and interact with our website through behavioral metrics, heatmaps, and session replay to improve and market our products/services. Website usage data is captured using first and third-party cookies and other tracking technologies to determine the popularity of products/services and online activity. Additionally, we use this information for site optimization, fraud/security purposes, and advertising. For more information about how Microsoft collects and uses your data, visit the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

Our website uses Facebook Social Plugins provided by Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. You can recognize social plugins by the Facebook logo or Like Button. An overview of social plugins is provided at: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. When you visit our website, the plugin is activated and a direct connection is established between your browser and the Facebook server. Facebook immediately receives the information that you have visited our site with your IP address. If you click the Facebook Like Button while logged on to your Facebook account, you can link the content of our pages to your Facebook profile. This allows Facebook to associate your visit to our website with your account. Please note that, as the operators of this website, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted and the further use of the data by Facebook.

For further information, please read the Facebook Data Policy at: http://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php.
If you do not want Facebook to be able to associate your visit to your website with your Facebook profile, please log out of your Facebook account beforehand.

Our website uses Facebook Pixel. The service is provided by Facebook, 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Whenever you visit our website, Facebook Pixel establishes a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. Facebook immediately receives the information that you have visited our site with your IP address. This allows Facebook to associate your visit to our website with your account. The data thus obtained further enables us to display Facebook advertisements or to track relevant information. Please note that, as the operators of this website, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted and the further use of the data by Facebook.

For further information, please consult the Facebook Data Policy at: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/. If you do not wish Custom Audience to collect your personal data, you may opt out here.

Our website uses Instagram services provided by Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. If you are logged on to your Instagram account, you can link content of our website to your Instagram profile by clicking the Instagram button. By doing so, you will enable Instagram to associate your visit to our website with your user account. Please note that, as the operators of this website, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted to and used by Instagram.

For further information, please refer to the Instagram Privacy Policy at: http://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/.

Our website uses features of the LinkedIn network provided by LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Each time you visit a page using LinkedIn services, a direct connection is established between your browser and the LinkedIn server. LinkedIn immediately receives the information that you have visited our website with your IP address. If you click the LinkedIn Recommend button while logged on to your LinkedIn account, LinkedIn will be able to associate your visit to our website with you and your user account. Please note that, as the operators of this website, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted or their further use by LinkedIn.

For further information, please consult the LinkedIn Privacy Policy provided at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

We employ TikTok Pixel on our website, a tool provided by TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland, and TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited, Kaleidoscope, 4 Lindsey Street, London, EC1A 9HP, United Kingdom (hereinafter collectively referred to as “TikTok”). TikTok Pixel is a JavaScript code that enables us to understand and trace the activities of visitors on our website.

In this context, so-called event data (e.g., information about devices, pages visited, or interactions) are collected and transmitted to TikTok. These data are used to optimize the delivery of our advertisements, to provide personalized advertising, and to measure the effectiveness of our campaigns. For the collection of event data, TikTok Pixel also uses cookies that are stored on your device or that access information already stored there.

The processing of these data takes place exclusively on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time via our consent management tool. We have concluded a data processing agreement with TikTok pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR, under which TikTok is obliged to process the data transmitted by us only in accordance with our instructions and to implement appropriate security measures.

Further information on data processing by TikTok can be found in TikTok’s Privacy Policy: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy/en

We use OptinMonster (a service provided by Retyp LLC, USA) to manage and display marketing campaigns such as pop-ups or links to landing pages. OptinMonster may use cookies or collect technical data (e.g., IP address, browser type) to ensure the proper display and performance of campaigns. These cookies are only activated with your consent, unless they are strictly necessary for the operation of our website. No personal data (such as names, email addresses, or phone numbers) is collected or stored by us via this tool. For more information, please see OptinMonster’s privacy policy at https://optinmonster.com/privacy/.

We use the online service Reddit Ads provided by Reddit Inc., 303 2nd Street, South Tower, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA, on our website. As part of this service, we implement the so-called Reddit Pixel. This is a JavaScript code snippet embedded on our website that enables Reddit to track whether and how users interact with our website after clicking on an ad placed on Reddit.

The Reddit Pixel is used for the statistical evaluation of the effectiveness of our Reddit advertising campaigns and helps us optimize and tailor our marketing efforts to meet user needs. We have a data processing agreement with Reddit in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR, in which Reddit commits to complying with European data protection regulations.

The processing of personal data is carried out exclusively based on your consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. Consent is obtained through our consent management tool (cookie banner) and can be withdrawn at any time with future effect.

For more information on data processing by Reddit, please visit: https://www.reddit.com/policies/privacy-policy

On our pages, functions of the Twitter service are integrated. These features are provided by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. By using Twitter and the Re-Tweet feature, the websites you visit are linked to your Twitter account and made known to other users. This also includes the transmission of other data to Twitter. Please note that, as the operators of this website, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted and its further use by Twitter.

Further information is provided in the Twitter Privacy Policy at: http://twitter.com/privacy.
If you wish to change your Twitter privacy settings, please visit http://twitter.com/account/settings.

Our website uses services of the XING network provided by XING SE, Dammtorstraße 30, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Each time you visit a page using XING services, a direct connection is established between your browser and the XING server. We have no knowledge of any personal data, neither IP address nor information about your online behavior, being collected in the process.

Further information about data protection and the XING Share button can be found in the XING Privacy Policy at: https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection.

Our website uses Remarketing Audiences in Google Analytics and the cross-device features of AdWords and DoubleClick. These are provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

By using these features, we can connect Remarketing Audiences created in Analytics with the cross-device features of AdWords and DoubleClick. This allows us to adapt personalized advertisements based on your previous user behavior on one device, such as your cell phone, for display on other devices, such as your tablet or computer.

If you have given respective permission, Google will connect your browser history with your Google account for the above purpose. This allows us to place the same personalized advertisement on any of the devices you use to log on to your Google account.

To support this function, Google Analytics will gather Google authenticated user IDs and temporarily associate them with our Google Analytics data. This enables us to define and create new audiences for cross-device targeting.

You may prevent cross-device remarketing or targeting by signing in to your Google account and opting out of Ads Personalization. Please use the following link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.

For further information and respective data protection regulations, please read the Google Privacy Policy provided at: http://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/.

The services listed under points ii. to xiii. are partly offered by third-party providers based in the USA and other third countries (e.g. Google LLC, Meta Platforms), which is why the respective third-party providers may also process data in the USA and other third countries. With regard to the USA, the European Court of Justice currently does not consider the level of data protection to be adequate, which is why it has also declared the EU-US Privacy Shield Agreement to be invalid. There is therefore the theoretical possibility that your data processed by third-party providers may be subject to access by US authorities for control and monitoring purposes and that no effective legal remedies are available against this. By clicking on "Accept" in the consent banner, you actively agree that we may use the aforementioned technologies and transfer your data to third-party providers from third countries (including the USA).