Academy website adaptation last updated: 11 November 2026
Based on the Afro-Technical Research Consortium Privacy Policy last updated 23 October 2026.
1. About this Privacy Policy
The Afro-Technical Research Commercialisation Academy (“the Academy”, “ARCA”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is an initiative of the Afro-Technical Research Consortium and is operated by AFTEREC LTD. This Privacy Policy applies to this Academy website and relevant Academy activities, including enquiries about training, programmes, workshops and institutional capacity-building.
The Academy operates within the wider Afro-Technical Research Consortium ecosystem. The Consortium operates through AFTEREC LTD, company number 17503650. The precise legal entity acting as data controller for a particular activity will depend on the circumstances, including whether a university, event host, funder or other organisation shares responsibility.
Privacy enquiries: info@afrotechnicalresearch.org
Website: afrotechnicalresearch.org
This notice describes the current Academy website. If the Academy introduces a new activity or service involving personal information, we will provide additional privacy information where required.
2. Personal information we collect
The information collected depends on how you interact with us.
2.1 Information you provide
The Academy contact form asks for your name, professional email address, institution or organisation, country, role, enquiry type and message. You may choose not to provide optional fields. Please provide only information relevant to your enquiry and that you are comfortable sharing.
The current form operates in your browser: it validates the fields and prepares an email addressed to info@afrotechnicalresearch.org. The form itself does not transmit or store your information. If you choose to send the prepared email, the information will be handled by your email provider and the recipient’s email service.
Do not send passwords, financial account credentials, confidential research, trade secrets, patent-sensitive details or sensitive personal information through a general enquiry unless a specific process requests it and you are authorised to provide it.
2.2 Information collected through the website
When you visit the website, the hosting provider or technical service providers may process information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, access times, referral information and security logs. The actual information collected depends on the hosting and website configuration.
2.3 Information from other sources and about other people
For a particular Academy activity, we may receive relevant professional information from an institution, programme partner or publicly available professional source where appropriate and lawful. If you provide information about another person, you should be authorised to share it and ensure that person has been appropriately informed where necessary.
3. How we use personal information and our lawful bases
We use personal information where we have a lawful basis under applicable data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, this may include our legitimate interests in operating the Academy and responding to enquiries, taking steps at your request before entering into an arrangement, fulfilling an agreement, complying with a legal obligation or your consent.
3.1 Responding to enquiries and administering services
We use enquiry information to respond to questions, provide requested information, discuss possible training or programmes, manage professional relationships and administer Academy activities. The lawful basis will generally be our legitimate interests or taking steps at your request before entering into an arrangement.
3.2 Programme, workshop and event administration
If you apply for or participate in an Academy programme, workshop or event, we may use the information you provide to assess eligibility where applicable, communicate with you, administer participation, coordinate delivery and evaluate the activity. The relevant lawful basis depends on the activity and may include legitimate interests, steps taken at your request, an agreed arrangement or consent where appropriate. Additional information will be provided for specific applications or events where needed.
3.3 Communications and updates
We may send messages needed to respond to an enquiry or administer a programme or existing relationship. Optional newsletters or promotional messages will be sent only where permitted by applicable law, with an appropriate way to unsubscribe or change preferences. Administrative messages are different from optional marketing.
3.4 Website operation, security and improvement
Technical information may be used to maintain website functionality, troubleshoot problems and protect the website and its users. Analytics or non-essential cookies will only be used with consent where applicable law requires it.
3.5 Legal obligations and protection of rights
We may process information to comply with applicable law, respond to lawful requests, establish or defend legal claims, investigate suspected misuse and protect the rights, safety and security of individuals and our organisation.
3.6 Special-category and sensitive information
We do not generally seek special-category personal information, such as health information, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs or information about sexual orientation. Do not provide sensitive information unless it is specifically requested and you are comfortable providing it. If such information is genuinely necessary for an activity, we will explain why it is requested and identify the applicable lawful basis and additional condition required by law.
4. Cookies, analytics and similar technologies
The current website does not set analytics or advertising cookies and does not load analytics tracking scripts. It does not currently provide cookie controls because no non-essential cookies or consent-management feature is implemented. Hosting or security providers may use technical measures necessary to serve and protect the website.
If cookies, analytics or similar technologies are added, the published information and consent controls will be updated as required by applicable law before they are used.
5. Service providers, data sharing and international transfers
We do not sell personal information. Where necessary and lawful, information may be shared with website hosting, security and technical support providers; email and communications providers; form, survey, event or video-conferencing providers used for a specific activity; programme administrators; relevant institutional or delivery partners; and professional advisers, auditors, insurers or legal representatives. Information may also be disclosed to public authorities or other parties where required by law or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
For the current contact form, the website does not send submissions to a form provider. If you choose to send its prepared email, it is processed by your email service and ours. The website requests font files from Google Fonts, which may receive technical connection information when your browser requests those assets. The homepage illustration is stored locally with the website.
We aim to limit sharing to information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. Service providers acting on our instructions are not authorised to use personal information for unrelated purposes. Some providers or recipients may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where applicable, we will use safeguards required by data protection law for international transfers. Specific providers and arrangements depend on the tools used for each activity.
6. Data retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including responding to enquiries, administering programmes, maintaining appropriate records, meeting legal obligations and resolving disputes.
Enquiry information may be retained for the period needed to respond and manage follow-up. If an enquiry leads to programme participation, relevant participant and attendance records may be retained as needed to administer the programme, issue certificates or maintain justified records. Financial records will be retained for the period required by law. We will securely delete, anonymise or otherwise dispose of information when it is no longer required, subject to legal obligations and legitimate recordkeeping needs. Specific retention periods depend on the activity and should be applied through internal retention procedures.
7. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to request access to or correction of your personal information; request erasure or restriction of processing; object to processing based on legitimate interests or to certain direct marketing; request data portability where applicable; withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing; or complain to a data protection supervisory authority. These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions, and we may need to verify your identity.
To exercise a right or ask a privacy question, email info@afrotechnicalresearch.org with the subject line “Data Protection Request”. Please describe your request and the relevant Academy activity, but do not send passwords or unnecessary sensitive information. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law and explain where we cannot fulfil a request in full, where required.
If you are in the United Kingdom, information about your rights and how to complain is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
8. Security and your responsibilities
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. Depending on the activity, safeguards may include access controls, restricted sharing, secure service providers and limiting information to what is necessary. No website, email service or electronic storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.
Avoid sending confidential or sensitive information through ordinary email or general-purpose forms unless the relevant process is suitable. If you believe information you provided to us has been exposed, misused or sent to the wrong recipient, contact info@afrotechnicalresearch.org promptly.
9. Applications, research submissions, confidentiality and intellectual property
If an Academy programme or activity requests research-related material, submit only information you are authorised to share. Do not submit trade secrets, confidential data, patent-sensitive details or unpublished intellectual property unless authorised and you have considered the consequences. Check your institution’s policies, co-author agreements, funder requirements and confidentiality obligations before sharing material.
Where a particular activity involves review, programme administration or mentor matching, relevant information may be shared with authorised reviewers, administrators or potential mentors as explained in the information for that activity. We will use submitted materials for the purposes communicated for the relevant activity and seek appropriate permission before public sharing where required.
Submitting research or an application does not by itself transfer ownership of intellectual property to the Consortium, AFTEREC LTD or the Academy. Ownership and permitted use remain subject to applicable law, institutional policies, existing agreements and any separate written agreement. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that submissions are accurate, appropriately attributed and lawful to share.
10. Photographs, testimonials, profiles and publicity
Where the Academy offers a publicity or profile activity, we will obtain appropriate permission before using an identifiable photograph, testimonial, biography or personal story where required. We will provide the relevant person an opportunity to review profile material and confirm the applicable publication permission.
Optional publicity permission is separate from processing information needed to administer a programme or event. Where consent is the basis for publicity, you may withdraw it by contacting info@afrotechnicalresearch.org. We will consider reasonable requests to stop future use and, where appropriate, remove material under our control. Removal from third-party platforms, search results, printed materials or copies already distributed may not always be possible. We will not knowingly publish confidential research or unpublished intellectual property without appropriate authorisation.
11. Third-party websites and external services
This website may link to third-party websites or services. When you use them, those providers may collect and process information under their own privacy policies and terms. We do not control the privacy practices of independent third parties. Review their privacy information before submitting personal information through their platforms.
12. International participants
The Academy may engage with researchers, applicants and participants in different countries. Information may be processed in the United Kingdom or other locations where service providers or programme partners operate. We will apply safeguards required by applicable data protection law to relevant international transfers. Local laws may provide additional rights depending on your location and the circumstances.
13. Children’s information
Academy activities are generally intended for adults, researchers, professionals, university students and other participants who meet the requirements of the relevant programme. We do not knowingly collect children’s personal information where it is not appropriate for the activity. If an activity is intended to include children or young people, we will provide additional privacy information and implement appropriate safeguards before collecting their information. If you believe a child has provided information to us inappropriately, contact info@afrotechnicalresearch.org.
14. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Policy to reflect changes in Academy activities, the website, service providers, legal obligations or data-handling practices. The latest version will be published on this website with its updated date. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice or seek consent where required by law. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
15. Contact the Afro-Technical Research Consortium
For questions about this Policy, our handling of personal information or to exercise your data protection rights, contact:
Afro-Technical Research Consortium
Afro-Technical Research Commercialisation Academy (ARCA)
Operated by AFTEREC LTD
Company number: 17503650
Email: info@afrotechnicalresearch.org
Website: afrotechnicalresearch.org
If you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your personal information, please contact us so that we can review your concern. You may also have the right to complain to the relevant data protection supervisory authority.