Who we are

HEROES (Higher Education and Research for Regional Resilience and Sustainability) is a European University Alliance of nine universities of applied sciences, funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The HEROES website (heroesuniversity.eu) is administered by Vilniaus kolegija (VIKO), Lithuania.
For data protection purposes, the HEROES partner institutions act as joint controllers under a Joint Controller Agreement. The coordinating institution is Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium. The full list of partner institutions is available at here.

Data protection contacts

For questions about how your personal data is processed on this website, you may contact:
HEROES Data Protection Coordination Office: DPO@thomasmore.be
Vilniaus kolegija Data Protection Officer (website administrator): dap@viko.lt, Saltoniškių g. 58, LT-08105 Vilnius, Lithuania.

What personal data we collect and why

Newsletter subscription (MailerLite)
When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your name and email address. This data is processed by MailerLite, our email service provider, for the purpose of sending you HEROES news and updates. The legal basis is your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every newsletter email. MailerLite’s privacy policy is available at here.

Collaboration registration
When you register through our Collaboration page, we collect your name, email address, and stakeholder group. This data is used to connect you with relevant HEROES activities and opportunities. The legal basis is your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR).

HEROESfriends registration
When you register as a HEROESfriend, we collect your name, email address, organisation, stakeholder group, and country. This data is used for sending the HEROESfriends newsletter, invitations to HEROES events, and internal project statistics (aggregated, for project reporting purposes only). The legal basis is your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR).

Website analytics
This website uses Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us understand how visitors use the site, including pages visited, time spent, and general geographic location. This data is collected in aggregated or anonymised form and is not used to identify individual visitors. The legal basis is legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). Analytics cookies are only set with your consent via the cookie banner. Google may transfer data to the United States; Google’s data processing terms are available at here.

Events and activities

HEROES events and activities may be photographed and filmed for the Alliance’s communication and dissemination purposes. The material may be used on the HEROES and partner institution websites, social media channels, newsletters, press releases, and other communication materials.
For general event photography (e.g. group photos, audience shots), participants are informed in advance through the event registration form, on-site signage, and a verbal reminder at the start of the event. The legal basis is legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
When an individual is specifically featured in content (e.g. an interview, testimonial, or portrait photograph), separate written consent is obtained. The legal basis in this case is consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR).

Cookies

This website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — for the following purposes:
Essential cookies are required for basic website functionality, such as remembering your cookie preferences.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the website, so we can improve it. These are only set with your consent.
You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings at any time.

Embedded content

Some pages may include embedded content from other platforms (e.g. YouTube videos). When you view such content, the external platform may collect data about you as if you had visited their website directly. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of those platforms.

Who we share your data with

Your personal data may be shared with HEROES partner institutions (for project coordination and communication), MailerLite (for newsletter delivery), and analytics service providers. We do not sell or share your data for commercial purposes.
Some of these services may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where this is the case, appropriate safeguards are in place as required by GDPR.

How long we retain your data

Newsletter and registration data is retained for the duration of the HEROES project and up to five years after the project ends, in line with EU grant record-keeping requirements, unless you withdraw your consent earlier. Analytics data is retained in aggregated form and does not contain personal data.

Your rights

You have the right to access your personal data, to request rectification or erasure, to restrict processing, to object to processing, and to data portability. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before it.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer at dap@viko.lt.
If you believe your data is being processed in violation of data protection legislation, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in your country of residence. In Lithuania, this is Valstybinė duomenų apsaugos inspekcija (ada@ada.lt).