Privacy Policy
Sustainability Studies (sustainabilitystudies.org) is a directory of sustainability degree programmes with an optional personal dashboard for tracking applications. It is operated by Daiane Piva, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This page explains, in plain language, what data we handle and why.
Data we collect
- Browsing the directory: nothing personal. We keep anonymous usage counts (see "Anonymous usage statistics" below) and use no advertising trackers. Our hosting provider (Netlify) keeps standard, short-lived server logs (IP address, page requested) for security and operations.
- Creating an account: sign-in is via Google. We receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google — nothing else, and never your password.
- Content you add to your dashboard: the programmes you save, application statuses, deadlines, notes, scholarships, contacts you store, letters you draft, and documents you upload. This is your data; we store it so you can use it.
- Forms: if you submit a story ("Confessions") or a question, the form data goes to our form processor (Formspree or Netlify Forms) and to our email.
- Consultancy bookings: handled by Calendly (scheduling) and PayPal (payment) under their own privacy policies; we receive the booking details you enter there.
- Email newsletter: if you sign up for our free guide and updates, we store your email address, the date and time you gave consent, and your IP address (as evidence of that consent) with our email provider, MailerLite.
Anonymous usage statistics
To understand which programmes, countries and filters visitors find useful, we count interactions on the site — for example "a visitor opened this programme page" or "someone filtered for master's degrees under €5,000". These counters are anonymous by design: they contain no name, no email address, no IP address, no account information and no advertising identifiers, and we set no cookies and store nothing on your device for this. The counts cannot be linked back to you, and they are kept strictly separate from newsletter and account data. We use them to improve the directory and to publish aggregated trends (such as "interest in programmes in the Netherlands grew this autumn") — never anything about an individual visitor.
The email newsletter
Signing up is entirely optional and only happens when you tick the consent box yourself — it is never pre-ticked. We use your address to send the free guide and occasional emails about sustainability programmes, scholarships and application tips. Every email contains a one-click unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing removes you from all future mailings. Your address is stored with MailerLite (our email service provider) and is never sold, rented or shared beyond that.
How we use it
- To provide the dashboard: showing you your own saved programmes, deadlines, documents and letters.
- To respond when you contact us or submit a form.
- We may email you about your account or important changes to the service. We do not send marketing email without your consent.
- We never sell or rent your personal data, and we show no advertising.
The letter-drafting assistant
If you use the AI letter assistant, the answers you type are sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) solely to generate your draft. Drafts are never created or sent anywhere automatically — you review, edit and decide. Your answers and drafts are stored in your own dashboard and nowhere else.
Where your data lives
Account data and dashboard content are stored with Supabase in a data centre in the European Union. Uploaded documents are stored in private storage that only your own account can access. The website itself is hosted by Netlify.
Cookies and local storage
We use no advertising or tracking cookies. When you sign in, your browser keeps a session token in local storage so you stay signed in — that's it.
Who else touches the data (processors)
- Supabase — database, sign-in and file storage (EU region)
- Netlify — website hosting and forms
- Google — sign-in only
- Formspree — story submissions
- MailerLite — the email newsletter, only if you sign up
- Anthropic — letter drafting, only when you use that feature
- Calendly and PayPal — only if you book a consultancy session
How long we keep it
For as long as your account exists. If you delete your account — or ask us to — your dashboard data and uploaded documents are deleted. Newsletter addresses are kept until you unsubscribe.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you can ask for a copy of your data, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Send your request via the contact form and we'll take care of it. You can also complain to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) if you believe we've handled your data improperly.
Changes
If this policy changes in a way that matters, we'll update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
Daiane Piva · Amsterdam, the Netherlands · contact form