Last Updated: December, 2025

1. ​​​​​General

At Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and its affiliates (“BGU”, “we”, “our” or “us”), we highly value and respect your privacy. Consequently, we dedicate significant efforts and resources to continually enhance our privacy practices in a manner that is fair and transparent.

In the course of your interaction with BGU and your use of our website, you may provide us with certain personal information which may identify you directly or when associated with other information (“Personal Information”). In these circumstances, BGU serves as the data controller with respect to our databases.

This privacy policy (“Policy”) describes what information we collect and why we collect it; how we use it and your rights with regard to the collection and use of your Personal Information.

Unless otherwise indicated, you are under no legal obligation to provide us with Personal Information, and any information you do share is given voluntarily with your consent.

BY PROVIDING US YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU AGREE TO THIS POLICY. THEREFORE, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE POLICY BEFORE PROVIDING US YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS POLICY, YOU SHALL NOT PROVIDE US WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

Kindly be aware that this Policy specifically pertains to information gathered via your interactions with our website and BGU’s services offered through it or in connection therewith. This includes services associated with the submission and evaluation of student and staff applicants, services associated with your student tuition and academic curriculum, student support, accommodation or dormitory applications, registration of events, as well as the establishment of a professional and social alumni network. Some information may be automatically collected as further detailed below.

Other affiliated websites, such as those managed by divisions, faculties, departments, or other units at BGU, may have their own privacy policies or offer additional details pertaining to their activities and any processing of Personal Information in connection therewith, which will supersede or supplement this Policy, as applicable.

2. Personal Information We Collect

2.1. In the course of your engagement with BGU, you may be requested to provide various categories and types of Personal Information, depending on your role as an applicant, student, or alumni.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Contact Details: your name, age, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal email addresses.
• Biographical Information: including your date of birth, age, gender and previous educational background.
• Administrative Records: such as enquiry and application records, student identification numbers, photographs, and ID numbers.
• Compliance Documents: comprising copies of passports, visas, and any other pertinent documentation necessary to validate your legal status, as well as health and safety records.
• Financial Information: covering banking details, payment records, applications for financial aid or scholarships, debts to BGU, and pertinent documentation required for fee assessments or eligibility for grants and scholarships, which may include family or personal financial circumstances and supporting evidence.
• Educational History: including information relating to your prior academic studies, such as the institutions attended, programs or courses completed, dates of enrollment, and grades or examination results obtained. Where necessary, primarily for the purpose of evaluating eligibility for admission to a specific program of study, you may also be asked to provide an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (résumé) and recommendations. This document may contain additional personal information, including but not limited to your academic qualifications, professional experience, and relevant skills.
• Sensitive Personal Information: potentially including details regarding racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation (processed for statutory relevant student support services), health information pertinent to advice, support, and welfare offered by BGU, such as counseling notes, information facilitating reasonable adjustments, or health data for sports memberships. Providing such personal information is entirely voluntary and not legally required; however, choosing not to provide it may prevent us from offering you certain services.
• Academic Assessment Records: comprising timetables, attendance records, examination details, personal extenuating circumstances, appeals, complaints, and awards.
• Emergency Contacts: information regarding individuals you wish us to contact in case of emergencies.
• Disciplinary Information: encompassing records of any breaches of BGU's policies and regulations, investigations, witness statements, evidence, and subsequent actions taken.
• Security Information: such as security camera footage and BGU system login data.

2.2. Additionally, should you apply for a position at BGU, we may request the following information:

• General Information: similar to those requested for applicants, including name, age, education background and employment history, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal email addresses.
• Additional Biographical Details: including marital status and dependents, nationality and country of residence.
• Administrative Information: This pertains to various administrative records, including correspondence logs, application materials like resumes (CV), the position for which you have been or are being considered, email and other correspondences in connection with your candidacy, references and information from references, assessments and materials you or other parties (such as evaluators or background check providers) submitted in relation to your candidacy, interview notes, and offer letters, as well as copies of driving licenses and identification documents.
• Compliance Documents: akin to those requested from applicants, including passports, visas, and any other documents required to fulfill legal obligations related to your job application.
• Sensitive Personal Information: potentially including details regarding racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, union membership, health data (including disability), and relevant information concerning criminal convictions or offenses.
• Performance and Development Information: comprising personal development records and other related evaluations, training histories, professional memberships, disciplinary records, and details of disputes or disciplinary proceedings, including investigations and outcomes.
• Emergency Contacts: similar to the information requested from other roles, providing details of individuals to contact in emergency situations.
• Security Information: akin to that requested from other roles, encompassing security camera images and BGU system login data.

2.3. Any additional information you may be asked to provide in a specific context, format, or manner.

2.4. Cookies and Similar Technologies.

Furthermore, when you engage with BGU digitally, we may obtain additional information related to you. This could entail data automatically transmitted to us during the interaction between your device and our servers, such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or device identifiers. Additionally, we may compile statistical and aggregated information from users of our digital platforms using various technologies, including cookies. We utilize cookies and similar technologies to understand how visitors interact with our website. Third-party service providers may also be involved in this process.

We use cookies to ensure website functionality, improve performance and user experience, remember your preferences, support login and user interactions, and deliver personalized content and advertising. It's important to note that these service providers may also collect and use the data for their own purposes. Cookies store information such as pages visited, duration of website visits, and geographic location. You can update your cookie preferences or turn off non-essential cookies anytime via the “Cookie Management” link in the homepage footer. You can also set your browser not to accept cookies. However, please be aware that if you choose not to accept cookies or disable them, you may face limitation on functionality and a deteriorated user experience.

2.5. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies to support, enhance, and optimize various aspects of our operations and services. These AI tools may process information you provide to us, including Personal Information, such as content submitted through forms, interactions, or other inputs, in order to improve functionality, efficiency, and user experience. We do not use AI systems to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. While we take reasonable measures to promote accuracy, reliability, and security, AI-generated outputs may not always be complete, accurate, or fully aligned with your expectations and may contain errors or limitations. Where appropriate, human oversight may be applied, and you may request human assistance at any time by contacting us in accordance with the “Contacting Us” section below.

3. The Legal Grounds for Processing Personal Information

If you reside or interact with BGU from a jurisdiction where privacy laws mandate consent as the sole legal basis for processing Personal Information, by providing us with your information, you automatically consent to its processing for all purposes outlined in this Policy.

3.1. Performance of a Contract with You or Where We Have Your Consent. 

We require your Personal Information for various activities essential to the performance of our engagement with you or for steps preceding the establishment of such engagement. We will process your Personal Information to:

1. manage and administer your application and registration.
2. academic administration, including registration, tuition payments, provision of study materials, timetabling, academic progress, facilitating professional placements, organizing examinations and the production of transcripts and certificates.
3. manage internal business operations, including tasks such as human resources management and student services. This includes academic administration tasks, processing tuition payments, providing study materials, scheduling classes, and coordinating examinations, as well as services offered and provided through the Student Affairs Office.
4. manage procedures related to appeals, complaints, disciplinary actions, and misconduct.
5. register and respond to your inquiries or when otherwise contacting us.
6. provide IT services, including your BGU account, email services.
7. grant access to and manage your use of BGU facilities and services, such as library memberships and sports facilities.
8. manage any assistance you request, as well as scholarships and dormitory arrangements.
9. as part of our procurement and financial management systems.
10. monitor your engagement with learning and teaching activities, including attendance and virtual learning environments.
11. send direct mailings related to your studies or employment, benefits, activities, events, and operational information.
12. provide information and maintain communication with our alumni.
13. conduct research in any field of knowledge and by any valid method of scientific research, including collection of Personal Information, its processing, whether in an identifiable manner or not, and retaining the data as per the research needs. Notwithstanding the above, any use of Personal Information for research purposes or internal analyses, where explicit consent has not been obtained, will be conducted in an anonymized manner that does not identify you.

There may be additional situations where we seek your consent to process your data, such as when you seek our services, reach out to us or voluntarily provide information about yourself or for example, by participating in a survey. In such cases, you are not legally obligated to provide this data; however, please be aware that failure to do so may limit or prevent your access to certain services.

3.2. BGU's Legitimate Interests.

If you reside or interact with BGU from a jurisdiction where privacy laws mandate consent as the sole legal basis for processing Personal Information, by providing us with your information, you automatically consent to its processing for all purposes outlined in this Policy.

Legitimate Interests include the following:

1. Ensuring a secure environment, encompassing fraud prevention, data security, addressing technical issues, and safeguarding the rights and properties of BGU and our partners. This involves verifying and authenticating your identity, preventing unauthorized or illegal activity and taking action against activities that may breach our Terms of Use or applicable law.
2. Undertaking legal actions, including the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.
3. Developing and enhancing the services and the website of BGU.
4. Ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures.
5. The University will collect Personal Information and process it, while abiding by the law and relevant rules, according to ethical principles of research, and other University regulations, with preference for collection of anonymous data, according to the circumstances, and to the extent possible.
6. For marketing and remarketing purposes, to better understand user preferences and deliver and/or present to you personalized content, offers, and advertisements of our Services.

3.3. Legal obligations.

We may process your Personal Information to fulfill legal obligations. This includes situations where we are required by law to collect, use, or disclose your information, such as complying with court orders, regulatory mandates, or governmental requests. For instance, universities are legally obligated to maintain accurate student records for accreditation purposes. Additionally, universities may be required to provide certain information to government agencies for purposes such as immigration compliance, labor regulations. Rest assured that we only process your Personal Information to the extent necessary to fulfill these legal obligations and protect the rights, safety, and security of our students, employees, our organization, and the public. Additionally, we may process your data to enforce our Terms of Use, investigate potential violations, or address fraud or security issues.

4. Sharing and Transfer of Personal Information

4.1. We will not share your Personal Information with third parties, except in the following instances:

a. When we have received your permission. This includes sharing information as described in this Policy or otherwise with other third-parties when you have specifically authorized us to do so.

b. With our affiliates. This relates to entities that are legally part of the same group of entities that are connected to BGU, or that become part of that group.

c. As a response to a legal request (such as a court order, search warrant or subpoena) if (i) we believe that we are required to do so by any applicable law; or (ii) when we believe that such disclosure or use is necessary in order to reveal, prevent and address fraud and other illegal activities; enforce this Policy, including in order to investigate potential breaches thereof; protect our rights, property or safety, or those of our students, employees or the public from harm, as required or permitted by applicable law; and prevent death or imminent bodily harm.

In particular, pursuant to the Protection of Privacy Regulations (Conditions of Holding and Storing Data and Procedures for Transferring Data Among Public Entities) - 1986, BGU shares your information with certain “Public Entities”, as such term is defined in the Protection of Privacy Law – 1981, including the Council of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor (for the purpose of registration in professional registries) and the Central Bureau of Statistics pursuant to their vested authorities and as provided by law.

d. When we engage third parties to process Personal Information on our behalf, including to facilitate our services or any portion thereof, such as marketing and re-marketing, data management or maintenance services and for analytics services. Analytics service providers set their own cookies or other identifiers on your computer, through which they can collect information about your usage of our website. This helps us compile aggregated statistics about the effectiveness of our website and services.

Such third-party service providers may operate in countries different from your own, and we may transmit information we receive to them. When these third-party service providers process your Personal Information on our behalf, we will ensure that they adhere to obligations similar to those outlined in this Policy. Additionally, we will ensure that they comply with our data privacy and security standards and only use the Personal Information for the purposes specified by us. We will transfer your Personal Information using appropriate safeguards and a range of legal mechanisms, including contracts, to ensure your rights.

e. If we become involved in a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of some or all of our assets or in the event of our reorganization, corporate division or other fundamental corporate changes, you will be notified on a best efforts basis via email and/or a prominent notice on our website, of any change in ownership, uses of your Personal Information, and choices you may have regarding your Personal Information. In any of the circumstances above, your Personal Information will continue to be used in accordance with this Policy.

f. Non-Personally Identifiable Information. We may also share aggregated or non-personally identifiable information that we collect as described above under “Personal Information We Collect" section.

4.2. International Data Transfer.

If you reside in, or are interacting with us from, the European Union, you should know that most of the processing of your Personal Information takes place in the territory of the State of Israel, which is recognized by the EU Commission as providing adequate protection to your Personal Information. Notwithstanding the above, we may transfer, process and store your Personal Information also in territories which have yet to be recognized by the EU Commission as providing adequate protection to your Personal Information. However, we will do so only after we will make sure that they will be adequately committed to protect your Personal Information in accordance with this Policy. By providing us your Personal Information you hereby consent to such transfer, processing or storage.

5. Data Retention

Generally, BGU does not retain information beyond what is necessary to provide its services and fulfill its legitimate business and legal requirements. Some Personal Information will be deleted automatically – e.g. if it is no longer required for the fulfillment of the purpose for which it has been collected or Personal Information that is no longer relevant – and some Personal Information will be deleted upon your request – e.g. Personal Information that you directly provided to us and wish to erase, unless the data is required for BGU to establish, exercise or defend against legal claims and/or otherwise required by law to be retained. Certain regulatory, legal or organizational requirements may require the retention of specific Personal Information for specific periods of time. This includes, among others:

• Personal Information which is required to prevent fraud or abuse;
• Personal Information which is required for our internal security purposes;
• Personal Information which needs to be retained for bookkeeping and accounting purposes, in order to comply with legal or regulatory requirements or to exercise any legal right.

We will retain the minimum Personal Information required for those purposes.

6. Your Rights

According to applicable data protection laws and regulations, you may have the following rights:

• requesting information on Personal Information that we hold about you;
• demanding that the information be rectified should it be incorrect. However, if you have provided us with that Personal Information or if you have the possibility to amend the Personal Information by yourself – e.g. through an online environment – you are solely responsible to make all necessary changes to correct any Personal Information which is inaccurate, incomplete or outdated. Please keep in mind that false, incorrect, or outdated information may prevent you from enjoying the activities and services we offer.
• asking that your data be deleted, if BGU is not permitted or is not legally obliged to retain the data. You should be aware that we use backup systems in which your data is stored without the ability to delete it immediately upon request. Therefore, we may require an additional short period of time until we are able to fully delete all traces of your Personal Information. Nonetheless, for legal reasons, organizational reasons or in order to prevent fraud, we may retain certain specific information relating to you. In any event, your request for deletion will be recorded and will not be deleted.
• demanding that the processing of your data be restricted;
• objecting to the processing by us;
• requesting that data submitted by you will be transferred in a generally useable, machine-readable, and standardized format.

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your Personal Information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that Personal Information is not disclosed to an unauthorized recipient.

You also have a right of appeal (as far as this affects you) to the respective Data Protection Supervisory Authority.

We do not charge for complying with a correction request, however, for all other requests, we may charge a small fee to cover its costs. We may decline to process requests that are unreasonably repetitive or systematic, require disproportionate technical effort, jeopardize the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical, or for which access is not otherwise required.

7. Data Security

We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of Personal Information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

We have physical, electronic, and procedural security measures and safeguards to reasonably protect Personal Information. Our servers and our databases are protected by industry standard security technology. We endeavor to restrict access to Personal Information about you to employees, contractors and service providers who we believe reasonably need to come into contact with that Personal Information.

Please understand that you can help keep your information secure by choosing and protecting your account appropriately and not sharing your password.

Although we cannot guarantee against any loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction of data, we try to prevent such unfortunate occurrences, including by implementing corporate procedures in this regard. If you have reason to believe that your Personal Information is no longer secure (for example, if you feel that the security of any account you might have with us has been compromised), please immediately notify us of the problem by contacting us in accordance with the “Contacting Us” section below.

8. Communications and Notifications

We may also send you newsletters and promotional communications, you may opt-out of this service at any time by clicking UNSUBSCRIBE at the bottom of each email or through any other method provided in accordance with applicable law. By providing your email address and/or phone number when registering to our mailing list, you consent to receiving promotional communications in accordance with Section 30A of the Israeli Communications Law (Telecommunications and Broadcasting), 1982. You can unsubscribe from these messages at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link provided in any email you receive from us or by using any other method outlined in the message, in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Please note that unsubscribing will not prevent us from sending you service-related communications.

Additionally, we may send you personalized direct marketing communications (as defined in the Israeli Privacy of Protection Law, 1981) based on your affiliation with a group characterized by specific attributes, using information stored in our database. Pursuant to the law, you have the right to request in writing that any information relating to you be deleted from the database used for direct marketing.

These communications may be sent via any means of communication, including with the assistance of third parties, such as email, mobile phone calls, SMS messages, and WhatsApp notifications.

9. External Links

Your interaction with BGU may contain integration with third-party services and links to third party sites or other apps or services that are not owned or operated by BGU.

Similarly, it is possible that you will use other services to interact or interface with our platforms (e.g. interacting with us via your social network account). This Policy only applies to BGU's processing activities and does not apply to any third party sites, apps, platforms or any other services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or terms of such other third parties even if our name and logo appear on the screen. We recommend that you review the privacy policies of such third parties before you use any apps or services they offer.

10. Protection of Children’s Privacy

​We do not knowingly gather or retain Personal Information from individuals under the age of 1618. If you are under 18 years old, you must not provide us with Personal Information unless you have obtained consent from your parent or guardian and have informed us of your age beforehand.

11. Changes to the Policy

​We may amend, change, update or modify this Policy from time to time. Any such change, update or modification will be effective immediately upon posting and will apply to any cause of action arising after the effective date of the change. You are solely responsible for checking the Policy for updates or changes, and we recommend you do so on an ongoing basis to ensure that you agree with its updated terms. You can easily discern if any changes have been made in the Policy by checking the “Last Updated” date at the top of the Policy.

We reserve the right to revise, amend, or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. When changing the policy, we will update this posting accordingly. Please review this Privacy Policy often so that you will remain updated regarding our current policies.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Privacy Policy will be governed and interpreted pursuant to the laws of the State of Israel without giving effect to its choice of laws. You expressly agree that the exclusive jurisdiction for any claim or action arising out of or relating to this Policy shall be to the competent courts in Beer-Sheva, Israel, to the exclusion of any other jurisdiction.

13. Contact Us and Data Protection Officer (DPO)

You can address any question or concern you may have with regard to this Policy, or if you have a reason to believe that your privacy or the privacy of your Personal Information has been compromised, to our Data Protection Officer (DPO) by sending an email to: DPO@bgu.ac.il.​

You can also contact your local data protection authority for any inquiry or complaint.