Privacy policy – Astronomical Polarimetry 2020 – New Era of Multi-Wavelength Polarimetry

Privacy Policy for Astropol2020 Participants

This Privacy Policy describes how we (LOC and SOC of IAUS 360 Astropol2020) collect, use fairly, and stores safely your personal data about symposium participants we hold. We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like more information about our privacy policy, please contact us at astropol2020-query@ml.hiroshima-u.ac.jp. Processes and options for opting out of providing personal information are described in `5. Your rights’.

1. The personal data we collect

The personal data we will collect from you are followings: (for remote attendees, we will collect only the highlighted items)

in the registration system: name, e-mail address, country, affiliation, postal address, phone number, payment of the fees, and student certificate;
in the abstract submission system: name, e-mail address, country, affiliation;
in the conference communication tools (Zoom, Remo): name, photograph/video;
in the IAU travel grant application form: name, birth date, gender, citizenship, affiliation, postal address, e-mail address, phone number; and
in the support for documentation of visa application: name, gender, nationality, birth date

2. How we collect your personal data

We will collect the personal data directly from you when you

complete online registration in the registration system;
complete an online submission in the abstract submission system;
submit the application form for the IAU travel grant;
apply the support for documentation of visa; and
visit the symposium venue;

Or we will record the online presentation as videos or snapshot pictures.

3. How we use your personal data

As mentioned above, the registration system, the abstract submission system, or the communication tools are based on your consent, receiving, and processing of your personal data. They are exclusively used in the application for the symposium.

In this respect, we use your personal data for the following:

to provide our symposium service (remote/onsite) to you;
to collect feedback from you after the symposium;
to retain your contact information to inform you about future symposium and events;
to administer financial documents and receipts;
to give the participants list in the Astropol2020 web page for a clear understanding of the symposium content;
to provide the online abstract booklet to the participants;
to share the recorded symposium videos/pictures with the participants who cannot attend the symposium in real-time.

Your personal data collected in the IAU travel grant application form is used only to select successful candidates for the grant. Your personal data collected for the documentation of visa applications are used solely to support the documentation.
In any case, we will share your personal data with close attention to the third parties’ level of technical and organizational ability to process personal data as required by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). We may also process your personal data in relation to compliance with our legal obligations.

For fulfilling this respect, we may use your personal data for the following:

financial audits;
compliance with our regulatory and legal obligation; and
prevention and detection of crime.

Information such as health or religion may be considered “sensitive personal data” under the GDPR. These personal data might include information necessary to arrange a booking, fulfill medical purposes, or protect your or other person’s vital interests. We are only prepared to accept sensitive personal data on the condition that we have your explicit consent.

4. How long we keep your personal data

Your personal data we collected through either the application process or directly from you will be stored, at most, for a period of three (3) years following the symposium.

5. Your rights

Once your personal data has been collected, you have the right

to request access to your personal data that we hold;
to rectify or erasure your personal data;
to restrict or object to processing concerning your personal data; and
to ask for a copy of your personal data in a format that allows the easy transfer.

To make inquiries, exercise any of your rights set out above, or withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal information, please contact us at astropol2020-query@ml.hiroshima-u.ac.jp.

6. How we protect your personal data

We are improving security measures to protect your personal data, information security policies that must be read and understood by all staff members. Personal data is only available to those members of staff who require access as part of their duties.
The online files of the Astropol2020 symposium are delivered via the secured websites at Hiroshima University and Kagoshima University. The applicants who access the online material at Hiroshima University should follow the Information Security Policy of Hiroshima University (; written in Japanese).

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. The most current version is available here (on the Astropol2020 website).

Other relevant references

LOC and SOC of IAUS 360: Astronomical Polarimetry 2020 (2021 Mar, Hiroshima)