Privacy policy

The Wyss Center is committed to protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information collected and used by the Wyss Center.

1. Who we are

The Wyss Center for Bio and Neuro Engineering (“we”, “our”, “us”) is a not-for-profit foundation incorporated and existing under the laws of Switzerland, with its principal office at 9 Chemin des Mines,1202 Geneva, Switzerland (“Wyss Center”).

For the purposes of data protection laws, the Wyss Center is the “Data Controller” in respect of the personal data collected directly or indirectly by the Wyss Center.

2. Scope and content

This privacy policy explains how we collect, store and use your personal data. For the purpose of this privacy policy, personal data is any information that relates directly or indirectly to an identified or identifiable living individual.

This privacy policy is incorporated into, and made a part of, the Terms of use of the Wyss Center websites. By using the Wyss Center websites, websites, by subscribing to our email communications, or by visiting us on-site, you agree with the Wyss Center’s collection, use, storage and disclosure of your personal data in accordance with this privacy policy.

This privacy policy does not cover any personal information which we may process in the context of our research activities. Please contact legal@wysscenter.ch if you have any questions about our data protection policy in relation to our research activities.

3. How we may gather your personal data

Your personal data may be collected from:

• you directly, when you use the Wyss Center websites, sign up for alerts or email communications, attend a show or events or when you apply for positions at the Wyss Center or when you visit us on site;
• other sources, such as public databases, partners, and social media platforms.

Website visitors

Our websites place cookies or similar technologies on your computer which can automatically collect information about how you use Wyss Center website.

Cookies are small files – usually text files made of letters and numbers – downloaded on to a device (computer, tablet, phone, or similar device) when you visit a websites. Cookies allow a websites to recognize a user’s device and are used by websites owners to operate their websites more efficiently.

Cookies include information about your computer, your visit and your use of the Wyss Center websites such as:

• IP address
• geolocation
• browser type and version
• operating system
• referral source
• length of visit
• page views
• website navigation paths

Please read the Wyss Center cookie policy for further information, especially the section about international transfers.

Wyss Center emails, alerts and newsletters

When you subscribe to emails, alerts and newsletters (“communications”) from us, we will ask for your:

• name
• email address
• your field of work so we can tailor messages to your interests

Our email service provider places single pixel gifs, also known as web beacons, in emails. These are tiny graphic files that contain unique identifiers that enable us to recognize when you have opened an email or clicked certain links. These technologies may record email address, Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer you are using, information about your browser and operating system, date and time of access and the internet address and page which linked you to the Wyss Center websites.

Our communications will always include the option for you to unsubscribe from receiving any further communication.

Information that you provide if you apply for positions at the Wyss Center

When you apply for a position at the Wyss Center we will collect recruitment information such as your CV, notes of interviews, decisions to offer employment and background information. 

Event attendees

When you register to attend an event, we may ask for your:

• name
• email address
• other relevant information as determined on an event-by-event basis

We may need to share personal data with third party organizations where it is necessary to administer the event (for example, with an external venue). 

4. Our use of your personal data

The Wyss Center may use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To help diagnose problems with our server, perform server security audits, and to administer and improve our websites;
• To understand how people find and use the Wyss Center websites and to improve their web experience;
• To administer and personalize the Wyss Center websites by presenting messages and content tailored to you;
• For the management of job applications;
• To provide you with information made available by the Wyss Center;
• To send you non-marketing communications;
• To share your personal data with non-affiliated third parties such as business partners so that they contact you directly;
• To send you email notifications that you have specifically requested, respond to your inquiries and fulfil your requests;
• To send you marketing communications relating to the Wyss Center, such as newsletters, in accordance with your communication preferences;
• To deal with enquiries and complaints made by or about you relating to the Wyss Center websites;
• To perform data analysis, generate aggregate statistical reports that analyze general user information and demographics ;
• To identify usage trends, determine the effectiveness of communication campaigns, operating and expanding Wyss Center activities;
• To organize and manage events and shows;
• To monitor email campaign performance;
• To associate information you provide us, with other information we collect from you or about you from third parties, for analytics purposes;
• To check compliance with the terms and conditions governing the use of the Wyss Center websites;
• To welcome you to our site, for security purposes.

Your personal data are processed on the basis of at least one legitimate ground which may be, depending on the categories of personal data and the purposes of the processing: (i) your explicit consent (which may be withdrawn at any time), (ii) the performance of a contract with you or pre-contractual steps for a contract with you, (iii) compliance with our legal obligations or (iv) our legitimate interest (such as in running our activity effectively) or the legitimate interest of the third parties to whom we transfer your personal data.

5. Disclosure of your personal data to third parties

The Wyss Center may share your personal data with any of Wyss Center’s employees, partners around the world only for the purposes described in this privacy policy. The Wyss Center may also share your personal data with professional advisers, third-party suppliers and service providers worldwide for data processing, storage, and other services such as web site hosting, data analysis, email delivery, auditing, monitoring and improving the security of our websites and other similar services.

The Wyss Center will also share personal data (i) if the Wyss Center has your permission to make the disclosure, or (ii) when the Wyss Center believes that release is appropriate or required to comply with the applicable laws and/or to respond to requests from competent public and government authorities including public and government authorities outside your country of residence, or (iii) in connection with any ongoing or prospective legal proceedings, or (iv) to enforce or apply the Wyss Center Terms of Use and other policies or agreements, or (v) to protect the rights, property or safety of the Wyss Center and other users (including for fraud protection).

6. Preferences

You can stop receiving emails, alerts and newsletters from us or change your email marketing preferences at any time, by following the ‘unsubscribe’ link on any of our emails or contacting us at legal@wysscenter.ch.

The Wyss Center shall comply with your request as soon as reasonably practicable. Please also note however that the Wyss Center may still send you important messages (i.e. service notifications) in connection with information about your account as applicable.

7. Retention of your personal data

The Wyss Center will retain personal data for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law such as to establish, exercise or defend the Wyss Center’s rights.

8. Your rights in relation to your personal data

You have certain rights under applicable data privacy laws in relation to your personal data, including rights to, in certain circumstances:

• Request access to the personal data that the Wyss Center holds about you and be provided information in relation to that personal data (including the purposes for which it is processed, the recipients to whom that personal data has been or will be disclosed, how long it will be stored for, details of any automated decision-making and your right to lodge a complaint with a supervisor authority);
• Request that the Wyss Center amends inaccurate personal data about you, and to have incomplete personal data completed;
• Request that the personal data that the Wyss Center holds about you is erased, for example where it is no longer necessary for the Wyss Center to hold the information;
• Object to, or restrict, the Wyss Center’s processing of your personal data. This includes the right to opt-out of receiving further emails;
• Request that the Wyss Center provides you with an electronic copy of the personal data we hold about you; and
• Contact the data protection supervisory authority of your country if you have any concern about the use of your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, you may contact us at: legal@wysscenter.ch. Wyss Center will handle your request as soon as reasonably practicable, in accordance with applicable laws.

The Wyss Center may need to retain certain information for back-up and record-keeping purposes, as required under applicable legal obligations.

9. International transfers of your personal data

The Wyss Center may transfer personal data to its third-party service providers located in a different country or territory to the one you are located in, storing and using information for the purposes described in this privacy policy. In the event where such a country does not offer an adequate level of data protection, the Wyss Center endeavours to enter into appropriate data protection agreements in order to ensure that your data is protected at a level at least equivalent to the “EEA” or Swiss data protection laws.

10. Security of your personal data

The Wyss Center uses appropriate security technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized or unlawful access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. Our network is protected and routinely monitored.

However, transmissions over the internet are never entirely secure or error-free and the Wyss Center does not guarantee the security or integrity during transfer of the information communicated to and/or from the Wyss Center websites. Should you become aware of any security incident, please contact legal@wysscenter.ch

11. Minors and children under the age of 13

The Wyss Center websites are not directed at, and are not intended for, minors and children under the age of thirteen (13). The Wyss Center will not knowingly collect data from children without proper parental consent. If you believe that the Wyss Center may have collected personal data from someone under the age of thirteen (13), or under the applicable age of consent in your country, without parental consent, you can contact the Wyss Center to take appropriate measures to investigate and address the issue promptly. Parents wishing to access, review or delete their child’s personal data may contact: legal@wysscenter.ch

12. Social computing

The Wyss Center may provide social computing tools to enable online sharing and collaboration among registered users. These include forums, wikis, blogs, instant messaging, open-source development and other social media platforms. When registering to use certain social computing tools, you may be asked to provide certain personal data. Such personal data and other information collected during the registration on the Wyss Center websites will be subject to this privacy policy, except personal data and other information that you make publicly available or you communicate to other participants. These tools may also include supplemental terms of use and may include additional privacy notices.

Any content or information (including personal data) that you post or make available to other participants on third party social media platforms is subject to the terms of use and privacy policies of those platforms and not subject to this privacy policy.

13. Third party websites

The Wyss Center websites may include hyperlinks to third party websites. The Wyss Center has no control over such third-party websites and their practices and is not responsible for the policies and practices of such third-party websites. This privacy policy does not address the policies and practices of such third parties related to privacy and security, data collection, processing, use, storage, and disclosure of personal data.

14. Changes to this privacy policy

This privacy policy supersedes all previous versions.

The Wyss Center reserves the right to change this privacy policy at any time. Any change to this privacy policy will become effective when the Wyss Center makes the revised privacy policy available on the Wyss Center websites or when the Wyss Center notifies you of such change. 

15. Contact

You can contact the Wyss Center regarding this privacy policy at the following email address: legal@wysscenter.ch.  Please provide the Wyss Center with your contact details and a detailed description of your request.

16. Effective date

This policy was updated on 3 March 2023.