A Note Before We Begin

Animae Mundi was founded on the conviction that knowledge belongs to the commons, that ideas, when shared freely and with care, become the infrastructure of more meaningful worlds.

We hold personal information with the same care we hold ideas: with attention, with intention, and with deep respect for the person behind the data. This Privacy Policy is not a formality. It is a commitment, to transparency, to responsibility, and to the trust you place in us when you engage with our work.

Please read it carefully. And if anything is unclear, we welcome the conversation.

1. Who We Are

Animae Mundi is a transdisciplinary, cross-cultural intellectual platform dedicated to cultivating new modes of knowledge, perception, and world-building. We operate at the intersection of philosophy, art, science, and social imagination, bridging traditions, geographies, and generations.

Animae Mundi is established in the Ajman Free Zone, United Arab Emirates.

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, Animae Mundi acts as the data controller responsible for the personal information collected through our website, programs, communications, and events.

Contact:

Nessrine Ferhat, 

Founder nessrine@animaemundi.com

www.animaemundi.com

If you have any questions about how we handle your personal information, or wish to exercise any of your rights, please write to us at the address above. We will respond with care and without delay.

2. The Legal Framework We Work Within

Animae Mundi is established in the Ajman Free Zone, United Arab Emirates. As an entity in a free zone that does not maintain its own separate data protection regime, Animae Mundi is subject to, and fully committed to complying with, the applicable federal data protection legislation of the UAE, including:

• Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL), which came into effect on 2 January 2022 and constitutes the principal data protection law applicable to entities established in the UAE and its non-financial free zones

• Federal Law No. 44 of 2021 establishing the UAE Data Office, the federal authority responsible for data protection regulation and oversight

• Any executive regulations, implementing guidelines, or decisions issued by the UAE Data Office in connection with the PDPL

• Any other applicable federal or emirate-level legislation governing privacy, cybersecurity, or digital communications in the UAE, including Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combatting Cybercrimes

A note on implementation: as of the date of this Policy, the executive regulations to the PDPL have not yet been formally published. We are monitoring their development closely and commit to updating our practices and this Policy promptly upon their issuance. In the interim, we apply the PDPL’s stated principles in full and have adopted the higher international standards described below to ensure the most robust protection of your personal information.

Where we engage with individuals located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we also voluntarily meet the standards set by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR as a matter of good practice, institutional integrity, and respect for our global community. The PDPL is broadly aligned with GDPR principles, and we find no conflict between these frameworks.

3. What Information We Collect

We collect only what is necessary, the information needed to build genuine relationships, deliver meaningful programs, and continue the work of cultivating intellectual life.

3.1 Information You Give Us Directly

When you visit our website or subscribe to our communications: Name, email address, areas of interest, and any other information you choose to share with us through contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, or direct correspondence.

When you apply for the Animae Mundi Fellowship: Name, biographical information, professional background, portfolio or writing samples, references and referee details, statement of purpose, country of residence and nationality, and any other information included in your application materials.

When you participate as a Fellow: All of the above, plus emergency contact details, travel and accommodation information, bank or payment details for stipends and grants, health or accessibility requirements you choose to share with us, and records of your participation, research, and productions during the Fellowship.

When you engage as a partner, donor, or institutional contact: Name, professional title, organisation, contact information, and records of our correspondence and agreements.

When you attend our events, symposia, or Commons programs: Name, contact information, professional background, and any information you provide during registration or participation.

3.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we may collect certain technical information automatically, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location

• Browser type, operating system, and device information

• Pages visited, time spent, and navigation paths

• Referral sources

This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies. 

Please see Section 9 for our full Cookie Policy.

3.3 Information We Receive from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from referees, partner institutions, or collaborating organisations, where you have given them permission to share it with us. We treat all such information with the same care as information provided directly.

4. Why We Hold Your Information — Our Purposes and Legal Bases

We process personal information only for specific, legitimate purposes. Below we explain what those purposes are and the legal basis on which we rely for each.

4.1 To Deliver Our Programs and Fulfill Our Commitments

Purpose: Processing Fellowship applications, selecting and supporting Fellows, administering stipends and grants, coordinating travel and residencies, maintaining program records.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps; legitimate interests in administering our programs effectively.

4.2 To Communicate With You

Purpose: Sending newsletters, program updates, invitations to events, publications, and other communications from the Animae Mundi Commons. Responding to your inquiries and correspondence.

Legal basis: Your consent, where required; our legitimate interest in keeping our community informed and connected.

You may withdraw your consent to marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, or by writing to us directly. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing already carried out.

4.3 To Manage Partnerships and Institutional Relations

Purpose: Maintaining records of our relationships with partners, donors, sponsors, and collaborating institutions; fulfilling contractual and reporting obligations.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract; legitimate interests in managing our institutional relationships.

4.4 To Improve and Develop Our Work

Purpose: Analysing how our website and programs are used; understanding our community’s interests and needs; developing new initiatives.

Legal basis: Our legitimate interests in understanding and improving our work, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

4.5 To Comply with Legal Obligations

Purpose: Retaining records as required by law; responding to lawful requests from regulatory or governmental authorities.

Legal basis: Compliance with a legal obligation.

4.6 To Protect Legitimate Interests

Purpose: Protecting the security of our systems and communications; preventing fraud; defending or asserting legal claims.

Legal basis: Legitimate interests; legal claims.

5. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this Policy, or as required by applicable law.

Category
Retention Period

Website visitor and analytics data
24 months from collection

Newsletter subscribers
Until unsubscription, plus 12 months

Fellowship applicants (unsuccessful)
2 years from the close of the application cycle

Fellowship applicants (successful) and Fellows
7 years following the conclusion of the Fellowship

Partner and donor records
7 years following the end of the relationship

Financial and payment records
7 years, as required by applicable law

Event and program participation records
5 years

Direct correspondence
3 years unless related to an ongoing relationship

When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it securely and without delay.

6. With Whom We Share Your Information

Animae Mundi does not sell personal information. We do not share it with third parties for their marketing purposes. We share it only in the following circumstances, and always with care:

Service providers: We work with trusted third parties who help us operate our website, deliver communications, process payments, and administer programs — including email platforms, payment processors, cloud storage providers, and event management tools. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Partner institutions: Where you participate in a Beyond program or joint initiative with a partner institution, we may share relevant information with that institution for the purposes of coordinating your participation. We will inform you of this before it occurs.

Referees: If you have provided references as part of a Fellowship application, we may contact your referees to verify or discuss the information you have provided.

Legal and regulatory authorities: We may disclose information where required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Successors: In the unlikely event that Animae Mundi undergoes a structural change, personal information held by us may be transferred to a successor organisation, subject to the same protections described in this Policy.

7. International Transfers

Animae Mundi operates across multiple geographies, and the nature of our work — spanning the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, and partnerships across Asia, Africa, and the Americas — means that personal information may be transferred to, stored in, or accessed from countries outside the UAE.

Where such transfers occur, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your information receives a level of protection consistent with UAE data protection law and, where applicable, GDPR standards. This may include the use of standard contractual clauses, data processing agreements, or other appropriate safeguards.

8. Your Rights

You have rights in relation to your personal information. We take these seriously and will respond to any request promptly — and always within the timeframes required by applicable law.

The right to be informed: You have the right to know what personal information we hold about you and how we use it. This Privacy Policy is our primary means of fulfilling that obligation.

The right of access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

The right to rectification: If any information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to correct it.

The right to erasure: In certain circumstances, you have the right to ask us to delete your personal information — for example, where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing.

The right to restrict processing: In certain circumstances, you may ask us to limit the way we use your information while a request or objection is being considered.

The right to data portability: Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract, and is carried out by automated means, you may ask us to provide your information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

The right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including direct marketing. Where you object to direct marketing, we will always honour that immediately.

The right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please write to us at nessrine@animaemundi.com. We will acknowledge your request within five working days and respond fully within thirty days. We will never charge a fee for a legitimate request, and we will never make the exercise of your rights unnecessarily difficult.

If you believe we have not handled your personal information appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UAE data protection authority or, where applicable, your local supervisory authority.

9. Cookies

Like most websites, animaemundi.com uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help us understand how our site is used and to improve your experience.

Strictly necessary cookies are essential for the website to function. They cannot be disabled.

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors engage with our content — which pages are most visited, how long people stay, and how they navigate the site. We use this information in aggregate form only. These cookies are only placed with your consent.

Preference cookies remember choices you have made — such as language preferences — to improve your experience on return visits. These cookies are only placed with your consent.

We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. We do not use cookies to build profiles for third-party marketing purposes.

When you first visit our website, you will be invited to make a choice about non-essential cookies. You may update your preferences at any time through our cookie settings. You may also manage cookies directly through your browser settings, though this may affect your experience of the site.

10. Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure — including encrypted data transmission, access controls, and regular security reviews.

No transmission over the internet is entirely without risk. But we hold ourselves to the highest standard of care in protecting what you entrust to us.

11. Children

Our programs, website, and communications are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

12. Links to Other Websites

Our website and communications may contain links to other websites — partner institutions, publications, events, and resources we believe are of value to our community. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before sharing any personal information with them.

13. Changes to This Policy

The world moves. Our programs evolve. This Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, our programs, or in applicable law.

When we make significant changes, we will notify you — through our website, by email if we hold your contact details, or through other appropriate means. The effective date at the top of this document will always reflect the most recent version.

We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Continued engagement with Animae Mundi after an update constitutes your acknowledgement of the revised Policy.

14. Contact and Questions

Ideas flourish in dialogue. So do good data practices.

If you have any questions about this Policy, about the way we handle your personal information, or about how to exercise your rights, please reach out. We welcome the conversation.

Nessrine Ferhat, Founder Animae Mundi nessrine@animaemundi.com www.animaemundi.com

Animae Mundi, cultivating the soul of the world

This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated in April 2026.