Privacy Policy
The Canadian Institute for Middle East and Gulf Studies ('CIMEGS', 'the Institute', 'we') respects your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect through this website and its portals, why we collect it, how we protect it, and the choices you have. It follows the principles of Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Information we collect
We collect only the information you choose to give us through our forms, and only what we need for the purpose at hand:
- Mailing list. Your email address, and, if you provide them, your country code and phone number.
- Membership applications. Your name, email address, phone number, organization or university, the membership category you choose, and any message you add.
- Article and proposal submissions. Your name, email address, a short biography, an optional photograph, and the work you send to the writers platform, the press, or the research hub.
- Inquiries and requests. Your name, email address, your affiliation, and the details of your request.
We do not ask for sensitive information, and we ask that you not send it through these forms.
How we use your information
We use your information only for the purpose for which you gave it: to send you the announcements you asked for, to consider your membership application or your submission, to reply to your inquiry, and to keep a record of our correspondence with you. We may use aggregate information that does not identify you to understand how the site is used and to improve it.
How we protect it
The site is served over a secure connection. We store your information in a protected database, limit access to authorized staff, and guard the administrative area with strong passwords and two factor authentication. Our forms are protected against automated abuse without tracking you, and we keep an internal record of administrative actions.
Sharing and service providers
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own use. A small number of service providers handle information on our behalf, such as our web host and our email delivery service. They act only on our instructions and are bound to keep your information confidential. Because some of them operate servers outside Canada, your information may be stored or processed in another country, where it is subject to that country's laws.
We will disclose information only where the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of the Institute and others.
Cookies
We use only the cookies the site needs in order to work. A session cookie keeps our forms secure, and a small preference cookie remembers the language you choose on our bilingual portals. We do not use advertising cookies or cross site tracking.
How long we keep it
We keep your information only as long as we need it for the purpose you gave it, or as long as the law requires, and then we delete it.
Your choices and rights
You may unsubscribe from the mailing list at any time, using the link in our emails or by writing to us. You may ask to see the information we hold about you, to correct it, or to have it deleted, and you may withdraw your consent. Write to us at cimeg@cimeg.ca, and we will respond within a reasonable time.
If you have a concern that we cannot resolve, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Children
This site is intended for a general, adult audience and is not directed at children.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date below shows when it was last revised, and the current version always appears on this page.
Contact
For any question about your privacy or this policy, write to cimeg@cimeg.ca, or to 2318 Council Ring Rd, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C1, Canada.
Last updated: June 2026.