HSE Policy Regarding Cookie Files
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Collection of User Information
Registration and authorization are not required to use the HSE University website. If you visit hse.ru, HSE University does not collect any personal information about you except for data obtained by cookies (see below). However, in some cases, such as using services available to HSE employees and students, authorization may be required. In these cases, since information is submitted via the internet, standard coding technology is used to protect user information.
What Are Cookies?
A cookie is a small piece of data sent by a web server and stored on a user's computer or mobile device that contains a user’s actions or preferences on a given website. Every time you try to open the page of a previously accessed website, the web client (usually your web browser) sends this piece of data to the web server along with the HTTP request. Users can delete stored cookies as they wish. You can read more about cookies on Wikipedia. Cookies are not used to identify site visitors.
What Is the Purpose of Cookies?
Cookie files, which contain information about a user’s behaviour on a website, a user’s equipment and software, their IP address, and the date and time of a session (collected also via metric programmes such as Yandex.Metrika, Google Analytics, and other third-party software companies with which HSE has agreements), are used in order to improve the site’s performance. User behaviour information is processed in order to improve educational and other kinds of products and services provided by HSE, identify user preferences, provide targeted information about HSE products and services, and to improve HSE system security. User information collected from cookies and processed by HSE is terminated once these purposes are fulfilled.
Types of Cookies Used
Cookies used by the HSE website can be divided into four types:
Required Cookies
Without these cookies, the site cannot properly function. These files store your authorization data (i.e., username and password) which is necessary to access certain sections of the site (e.g., your personal employee account). In addition, they allow HSE to identify your hardware and software, including your browser type.
Performance Optimization Cookies
Some cookies help HSE developers evaluate the site’s performance, optimize its design, and generally ensure a convenient, high-quality user experience. Cookies facilitate the collection of viewership statistics of certain pages as well as the analysis of the ways in which users arrive at and access pages.
Functionality Optimization Cookies
These cookies store a user’s selected settings, thereby allowing these settings to be automatically activated the next time a user visits the site.
Monitoring and Personalization Cookies
This type of cookies allows the University to receive information about the interests and needs of its web users. These cookies help site managers to create content that is relevant to users. Such cookies record the source pages that have led a user to the HSE site, the type of browser a user uses, as well as the nature of the data downloaded from the site. This information is collected on condition of anonymity by third-party web service providers.
Social Media Cookies
Cookies of this type are used to collect information about the use of social media.
Cookie Storage Period
HSE uses information obtained by the above-listed types of cookies. Cookies are stored on your device for as long as their purposes require, after which they are automatically deleted from your device. For other types of cookies, the storage period on your device may vary.
How to Disable Cookies
After disabling the function of using cookies in a web browser, you may find that some sections of the site do not work properly. Instructions for managing cookies in your browser can usually be found in the browser’s ‘help’ tab. When you first visit the HSE website, your consent to the use of cookies may be requested. If, after you have approved the use of cookies, you change your mind, you can do this by deleting the cookies stored in your browser. After that, the HSE website may request your consent for the use of cookies once again, at which point you may decline.