Cookie declaration
This website uses techniques to improve your browsing experience. These techniques are called cookies. In this cookie statement, we want to explain to you which cookies we use, why we use them and how you can manage them.
If you have given Ghent University permission to use non-functional cookies, you can change this setting at any time.
Who is responsible for this cookie statement?
This website is a part of Ghent University (UGent), a public institution with legal personality according to the special decree of 26 June 1991, with its administrative seat at and located at Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, 9000 Ghent.
What are cookies?
Our website makes use of so-called 'cookies'. Cookies are small data or text files that are installed on your computer or mobile device (smartphone, tablet, etc.) when you visit a website or use a (mobile) application. Cookie files contain unique codes which, for example, allow your browser to recognise you when you visit an online service.
A website can only read the cookies it has placed itself. It cannot access other information on your computer.
What types of cookies are there?
Cookies are classified according to their origin, their function and their life span.
Origin
Based on the origin of cookies, we distinguish between first party cookies and third party cookies.
First-party cookies
First-party cookies are direct cookies managed by Ghent University itself. They are placed directly on the website by Ghent University.
Third-party cookies
Third-party cookies are cookies that are not managed or placed by Ghent University but by a third party. This happens during your visit to or use of the website.
Third-party cookies ensure that certain data are sent to third parties when you visit or use an online service. These include social media cookies or cookies from advertisers, which ensure that you see advertisements. Although we do not control or place these cookies ourselves, we do our best to ensure that their placement by third parties through our platforms is as controlled as possible. These third parties may be considered joint controllers with Ghent University when both parties jointly determine the purpose and means of the processing (cookies).
Function
Functional cookies
Functional cookies are cookies that ensure that the website functions properly. Functional cookies are first-party cookies and are necessary for the proper functioning of the website. Functional cookies cannot be refused.
Non-functional cookies
Non-functional cookies are cookies that are placed for statistical, social and commercial purposes. They have nothing to do with the mere technical support of the website. Non-functional cookies can be first party cookies or third party cookies. Below you will find more explanation about the different purposes of these non-functional cookies:
Cookies with statistical purposes allow to find out which pages of the website are visited, where a user's computer is located, etc.
Social purpose cookies enable the user to share the content of the visited website directly with others via social media.
Lifetime
Permanent cookies
Persistent cookies remain on the user's device for the lifetime of the cookie. They are activated each time the user visits the website that placed the cookie (e.g. cookies placed by social media like Twitter, Facebook, Google Analytics, etc.).
Session cookies
Session cookies allow for the simplification and linking of a user's actions during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and ends when the user closes the browser window. Session cookies are set temporarily. As soon as the browser is closed, all session cookies are deleted.
Why does Ghent University use cookies?
First and foremost, Ghent University uses cookies to improve your user experience and make the online services work better.
Cookies generally make the interaction between you and the website or (mobile) application you visit easier and faster. They help you, for instance, to navigate between the different parts of a website or (mobile) application.
The cookies used by Ghent University are safe and are never used for advertising.
Ghent University does not store any information that is directly related to you. Information gathered with cookies is only used to identify possible errors and to optimise the website.
Which cookies does Ghent University use for which purposes?
Different types of cookies can be placed through our various online services. The cookies can be divided into different categories, which we list below for you. The cookies listed below are certainly not all placed simultaneously via our websites or (mobile) applications.
Necessary functional cookies
Necessary functional cookies are cookies that are required to use our online services properly. We use these cookies to ensure the following benefits, among others:
Read out your browser settings in order to display our website optimally on your screen.
Load the website evenly, keeping it accessible at all times.
Use of these cookies does not require consent and cannot be disabled.
Statistical cookies
Statistical cookies such as Google Analytics collect general information about how our online services are used. We can make statistical analyses of the information we obtain in this way, for example: How did you get to our webpage? On which mobile application do you spend most time?
Statistical results allow us to make the structure, navigation and content of our online services as user-friendly as possible and to improve them.
Use of these cookies requires consent.
Social media cookies
Social media cookies are used to enable the integration of social networking sites on our websites.
Examples of these social media are Facebook, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. These third parties may place cookies via our online services to collect data. These third parties may be considered joint controllers with Ghent University when both parties jointly determine the purpose and means of the processing (cookies). For more information on these cookies, please refer to the information provided by the third parties on their own websites.
De gedetailleerde lijst van cookies op onze diverse websites en (mobiele) applicaties vindt u hieronder.
List of cookies
We use cookies to make the website work properly. Those cookies may also be set by third parties, for example to measure site usage or share content on social media.
You can set your own cookie preferences. We save your preferences, but you can change them at any time. Keep in mind that certain media are only available if you accept the cookies.
Necessary functional cookies
You cannot reject these cookies when browsing our website, but they are only set after a choice has been made regarding the setting of cookies.
| Name | Purpose | Lifespan | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
|
AWSELB AWSELBCORS |
These cookies are used in connection with load balancing; this optimises the response speed between the visitor and the site, by distributing the traffic load over multiple network connections or disk drives. |
7 days 7 days |
AWS |
| ROUTEID | These cookies are used in connection with load balancing; this optimises the response speed between the visitor and the site, by distributing the traffic load over multiple network connections or disk drives/ | session | ugent.be |
Statistics cookies
You can reject these cookies if you want to browse our website.
|
Name |
Purpose |
Lifespan |
Provider |
|
_ce.cch |
Used to determine whether cookies can be added. |
session |
CrazyEgg |
|
_ce.gtld |
Used to identify the top-level domain. |
session |
CrazyEgg |
|
_ce.s |
Provides web analytics that tracks how visitors interact with pages. |
1 year |
CrazyEgg |
|
_ga |
Stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors. |
2 years |
|
|
_ga_# |
Collects data on the number of times a user has visited the website and also data for the first and most recent visit. |
2 years |
|
|
_gat _gat_# |
Reviews how quickly requests are completed. |
1 minute |
|
|
_gid |
Used to store information about how visitors use a website and helps create an analytical report on how the website is doing. |
2 days |
|
|
_hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress |
Used to store unique visits. |
30 minutes |
Hotjar |
|
_hjFirstSeen |
Used to store the first visit to the site. |
30 minutes |
Hotjar |
|
_hjSessionUser_# |
Used to store a unique user ID. |
1 year |
Hotjar |
|
_hjSession_# |
Used to provide features on different pages. |
30 minutes |
Hotjar |
|
cebs |
Tracks individual sessions on the website, allowing the website to collect statistical data from multiple visits. |
session |
CrazyEgg |
|
cebsp |
Used to determine when the visitor last visited the various pages on the website. |
session |
CrazyEgg |
|
nmstat |
Used to record the visitor's use of the website and to collect statistics on site usage, such as when the visitor last visited the site. This information is then used to improve the user experience on the website. |
1 year 1 month 4 days |
Siteimprove |
|
_pk_id# |
Website visitor count analysis. |
30 minutes |
Piwik Pro |
|
_pk_ses# |
Website visitor count analysis. |
30 minutes |
Piwik Pro |
|
ppms_privacy_ |
Stores visitor's consent to data collection and use. |
1 year |
Piwik Pro |
|
stg_debug |
Determines whether the 'debugger' should be displayed. |
Piwik Pro |
|
|
stg_externalReferrer |
Stores a URL of a website that referred a visitor to it. |
Piwik Pro |
|
|
_hjIncludedInPageviewSample |
Used to verify that user navigation and user actions are included in website data analyses. |
15 minutes |
Hotjar |
|
_hjIncludedInSessionSample |
Registers data on visitors' website behaviour. |
15 minutes |
Hotjar |
Third party cookies
You can reject these cookies if you want to browse our website.
| Name | Purpose | Lifespan | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| YSC | Records a unique ID to keep statistics of which YouTube videos the user has seen. | session | YouTube |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | Tries to estimate users' bandwidth on pages with embedded YouTube videos. | 179 days | YouTube |
| _fbp | Used by Facebook to deliver a range of ad products, such as real-time bidding from third-party advertisers | 3 months | |
| _ttp _tt_enable_cookie |
Used by social networking service TikTok to track usage of embedded services. |
1 year 25 days |
TikTok |
How can I manage the use of cookies?
Ghent University respects your privacy and only uses cookies if you have given permission. However, the strictly necessary cookies are always switched on. Information about your rights and the way you can exercise them can be found in the privacy statement.
We want to give you as much control as possible over the use of cookies via our services. Therefore, you can control the use of cookies on our online services both through our online services and through your browser.
How you can adjust these settings varies from one browser to another. If necessary, consult the help function of your browser. There you can also find out how to delete previously placed cookies.
You will receive more information on how to do this via these links.
Who can I contact with further questions or complaints about cookies?
Have you read our cookie statement in full, but have not yet found the answer to your question? You can send an email to the data protection officer (DPO) who monitors the protection of your data at Ghent University. Our DPO will be happy to assist you via privacy@ugent.be.
If you wish, you can also file a complaint with a supervisory authority. In Belgium, this is the Data Protection Authority and/or the Flemish Supervisory Commission. You can find more information on their website.
Can this cookie statement change?
This statement may be amended if our services or the applicable legislation require it.
Of course we will let you know when there are important changes and ask your permission if necessary.