NEOLAiA Art Exhibition

1. Scope, Amendments to the Terms and Conditions

1.1 These Terms and Conditions apply to participation in the “NEOLAiA” art competition with prize draw – hereinafter referred to as the “Art Competition” – organized by Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.

2. Participation

2.1 Participation in the Art Competition is exclusively by submitting the required documents to the email address neolaia-students@uni-bielefeld.de. Only submissions sent from a “@uni-bielefeld.de” email address will be considered. Data submitted via any other means will not be considered.

2.2 All students of Bielefeld University who are at least 18 years old at the time of participation are eligible to participate. Adult members of other university status groups at Bielefeld University are also eligible to participate, provided that enrollment as a student at Bielefeld University can be verified at the time of participation.

2.3 Participation requires submission of the following documents:

The artwork to be submitted as a file (see section 4.2.2.)
A completed participation form including consent to these Terms and Conditions, the intended data processing, and the granting of rights to the work

3. Participation Period, Content, Procedure, Prize

3.1 The participation period begins on 15 April 2026 and ends at the close of 5 May 2026.

3.2 The competition procedure is as follows:

3.2.1 Participants create an artwork that, in their view, particularly expresses the diversity and unique characteristics of Bielefeld University within the NEOLAiA network.

3.2.2 Participants complete the form available via the provided link and send the artwork file in JPG or PDF format together with the completed form by email to neolaia-students@uni-bielefeld.de.

3.2.3 Each participant may submit a maximum of one artwork including description.

3.2.4 Participants must have developed the artistic concept themselves. Cooperation with other members of Bielefeld University is permitted. However, the artistic concept must be submitted in the name of one person only.

3.2.5 The use of AI software, in particular programs for the production and processing of images, is permitted. However, this must be explicitly indicated when submitting the artwork.

3.2.6 A jury consisting of employees of Bielefeld University and representatives of the Student Advisory Group of Bielefeld University will select the winners based on a catalog of criteria. The representatives will meet and determine the winners by awarding points according to the criteria catalog. The participant with the highest score will receive Prize 1. The participant with the second-highest score will receive Prize 2. The participant with the third-highest score will receive Prize 3. Legal recourse against the jury’s decision is excluded.

3.2.7 The prizes consist of the following:

3.2.7.1 Prize 1: A shopping voucher worth €300.
3.2.7.2 Prize 2: A shopping voucher worth €200.
3.2.7.3 Prize 3: A shopping voucher worth €100.

3.2.8 The winners will be officially notified of their prize by email by representatives of the Student Advisory Group of Bielefeld University no later than 8 May 2026.

3.2.9 Winners must respond to the prize notification within five working days of the email being sent. Otherwise, the claim to the prize will expire.

3.2.10 Winners are not entitled to receive the prize in cash or in the form of other material assets, nor to exchange the prize for another item. Prizes are not transferable to any person other than the respective participant.

3.2.11 The prizes must be collected within one month after the winner’s response during the opening hours of the Service Desk of the International Office. Otherwise, the prize will expire.

3.2.12 No claims are established against the Student Advisory Group or the student body of Bielefeld University.

4. Rights, Granting of Rights

4.1 The artworks submitted by email must not infringe the rights of third parties, in particular copyright, trademark, or personal rights.

4.2 By submitting the artwork including a textual description by email, participants grant the organizer of the prize draw a non-exclusive, free of charge, unlimited right of use in terms of time and territory to the artwork described above. The right of use includes the right of the University to edit (electronically), reproduce, distribute, and publish the artwork and the accompanying short text. The University may use the artwork, without temporal or geographical restriction, in unchanged or modified form, while respecting the intellectual character of the work, for purposes of public relations. This includes in particular public presentations of the submitted work in the context of reports on the (Europe-wide parallel) art competition of the NEOLAiA partner universities. The granted right of use is limited to non-commercial purposes and includes use on the University’s website including its own blogs and forums, on all social media channels, and in physical form as an exhibit within exhibitions. The granting of rights is independent of the awarding of a prize. Accordingly, use under the stated modalities may take place even before the winners are announced.

4.3 By submitting the artwork including a textual description by email, participants also grant the NEOLAiA Alliance a right of use identical in content to that described in section 4.2.

4.4 Participants warrant that they hold the rights pursuant to sections 4.1 to 4.3 to the submitted works and, in particular, possess the necessary consents regarding the personal rights of any persons depicted.

4.5 Bielefeld University reserves the right, upon gaining knowledge thereof (e.g., obvious violations or third-party notifications), to exclude content from further participation if such content is unlawful or constitutes prohibited content within the meaning of section 5.

5. Prohibited Content

5.1 Participants are responsible for ensuring that the files uploaded via the online form comply with applicable laws and these Terms and Conditions.

5.2 Legally prohibited content includes, for example:

5.2.1 Images relevant under criminal law, content harmful to children and young people, and corresponding depictions
5.2.2 Reproduction, distribution, and public communication of copyrighted works without holding the necessary usage rights
5.2.3 Publication of images in which persons are identifiable without their consent
5.2.4 Publication of personal data of third parties without their consent
5.2.5 The above list is not exhaustive.

5.3 The submission of artworks containing the following content is inadmissible under these Terms and Conditions:

5.3.1 Promotion of politically extremist or religiously fundamentalist activities
5.3.2 Advertising of goods and/or services
5.3.3 Depictions glorifying violence, racism, and/or any form of discrimination against people

6. Indemnification

6.1 Participants shall indemnify Bielefeld University against all claims asserted by other users or third parties against Bielefeld University due to the infringement of their rights by the artworks uploaded by participants.

6.2 Participants shall also bear the necessary costs of legal defense (attorneys’ fees and court costs) incurred by Bielefeld University.

6.3 Furthermore, in the event of claims by third parties, participants undertake to provide Bielefeld University without delay, truthfully and completely, with all information necessary for the examination of the claims and for defense.

6.4 In the event of legal proceedings with a third party, Bielefeld University reserves the right to involve the participating person in the proceedings within the scope permitted by civil procedural law.

6.5 The provisions in sections 6.1 to 6.4 shall also apply in the relationship between participants and the NEOLAiA Alliance.

7. Exclusion, Unforeseen Circumstances

7.1 In the event of a violation of these Terms and Conditions, Bielefeld University reserves the right to exclude individuals from the competition. In cases of justified suspicion of abuse, manipulation, or any unauthorized or unlawful use of the competition, the respective participants will be excluded immediately and without prior notice.

7.2 In the event of a violation of the Terms and Conditions in which a participant falsely claims to be the author of the uploaded work in order to obtain the prize, Bielefeld University reserves the right to claim damages (see section 6).

7.3 Bielefeld University reserves the right, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, to modify, terminate, or suspend the competition in whole or in part without prior notice. Unforeseen circumstances include, in particular, technical circumstances beyond the control and influence of Bielefeld University (e.g., hacking attacks on the University’s IT infrastructure or manipulation of the competition by third parties).

8. Data Protection

8.1 Participants consent to the processing of personal data in connection with participation in the competition in accordance with the attached privacy policy. In particular, they consent to the publication of the submitted artwork and the transmitted personal data (first name, last name, faculty, photograph or other electronic materials) in connection with the competition on the websites and social media channels of the NEOLAiA Alliance and Bielefeld University.

8.2 Participants may object to the publication of their personal data either at the time of participation or subsequently.

9. Limitation of Liability and Warranty of Bielefeld University

9.1 Bielefeld University shall be liable without limitation for damages caused intentionally or by gross negligence by Bielefeld University, its employees, or vicarious agents; in cases of fraudulent concealment of defects; upon express assumption of a guarantee; and for damages resulting from injury to life, body, or health.

9.2 Any further liability of Bielefeld University beyond the above is excluded.

10. Final Provisions

10.1 If participants have no general place of jurisdiction in Germany or no residence, or if their habitual residence is unknown at the time legal action is filed, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract shall be the registered seat of Bielefeld University.

10.2 Should individual provisions of these Terms and Conditions, including this provision, be or become wholly or partially invalid, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. The same applies in the event of a regulatory gap.

With this privacy notice, Bielefeld University fulfills its information obligations pursuant to Articles 13 and 14 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) regarding the processing of personal data mentioned above.

With regard to other terms used, such as “personal data,” “processing,” “controller,” and “third party,” please refer to the definitions set out in Article 4 of the EU GDPR.

1. Contact Details

The controller responsible for the processing is Bielefeld University, a public-law institution with legal capacity funded by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is represented by the Rector.

1.1 Contact Details of the Controller

Bielefeld University
Universitätsstraße 25
D-33615 Bielefeld
Phone: +49 521 106-00
Email: post@uni-bielefeld.de
Website: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de

1.2 Subject-Matter Contact Person

Prof. Dr. Michaela Vogt
Email: prorektorat.internationales-diversitaet@uni-bielefeld.de
Phone: +49 521 106-67754
Website:
https://ekvv.uni-bielefeld.de/pers_publ/publ/PersonDetail.jsp?personId=124793053

1.3 Contact Details of the Data Protection Officer

You may contact the Data Protection Officer by post at the address of the controller.
Phone: +49 521 106-5225
Email: datenschutzbeauftragte@uni-bielefeld.de

2. Processed Personal Data and Purposes

In the context of participation in the NEOLAiA Art Competition 2026, your personal data will be collected and processed for the following purposes:

2.1 For the Selection Process of Prize Winners (1st to 3rd Place)

Personal master data: first name, last name, student ID number, faculty affiliation, email address (university/private)
Where applicable, personal data contained in/on the artwork
Where applicable, personal data included in the free-text field explaining the artwork

2.2 For the Presentation of the Award-Winning Artworks as Part of an Exhibition and for Public Relations Activities of the NEOLAiA Alliance and Bielefeld University

Personal master data: first name, last name
Where applicable, personal data contained in/on the artwork
Where applicable, personal data included in the free-text field explaining the artwork

3. Legal Basis for Data Processing

The collection of personal data for the purposes mentioned under section 2 is based on the consent of the data subjects pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) EU GDPR.

4. Data Transfers

The NEOLAiA Alliance at the University transfers certain personal data to internal and external bodies. This includes, for example:

The personal data first name and last name, together with digital files of the submitted digital photograph of the artwork, are transmitted to the selection committee (jury) of the art competition for the selection process. The selection committee consists of selected representatives of the NEOLAiA Alliance at Bielefeld University in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the NEOLAiA Art Competition. The prizes are awarded by scoring the submitted artworks according to a predefined catalogue of criteria.

In the event that an artwork is awarded 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, the first name, last name, and email address of the person who submitted the awarded artwork will be transmitted to the International Office of Bielefeld University for the purpose of prize notification and awarding the prize in accordance with the Terms and Conditions. Notification will be carried out by the Student Advisory Group of Bielefeld University.

In individual cases, personal data may be transferred to third parties on the basis of legal authorization, for example to law enforcement authorities for the investigation of criminal offences in accordance with the German Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO).

If technical service providers are granted access to personal data, this is done exclusively on the basis of a contract pursuant to Article 28 GDPR. These service providers are obligated to treat your data confidentially and to process it only in accordance with our instructions.

Your personal data will not be transferred to countries outside the European Union (so-called third countries).

Your photo, audio, and/or video recordings may be published on the NEOLAiA Alliance website (https://neolaiacampus.eu/) as well as on the Bielefeld University website. Furthermore, your photo, audio, and video recordings may be published in the online and print media of the NEOLAiA Alliance and Bielefeld University. The material may be forwarded to service providers involved in the production of print products, including agencies and printing companies.

Selected images, audio recordings, and videos may be provided to interested media outlets for reporting on the NEOLAiA Art Competition.

In addition, your personal data may be published on the following social media platforms:

Instagram
Meta Platforms Ireland Limited
4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland
Website: https://instagram.com
Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy

LinkedIn
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
Website: https://www.linkedin.com
Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

YouTube
YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA
Legally represented by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Website: https://www.youtube.com/
Privacy Policy: www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/

Please note that if photo, audio, and/or video recordings are published on the internet or in print media, they may be accessible to a wide audience.

5. Retention Periods

Personal data processed for the purposes mentioned in section 2.1 will be deleted three years after the conclusion of the art competition for documentation purposes or, if stored in paper form, destroyed.

Please note that once personal data are published on the internet, they may be accessed worldwide by anyone, including via search engines (e.g., Google). Personality profiles may be created by linking this data with other information about you available online. The data may also be used for other purposes. Search engine archive functions (see, for example, www.archive.org) may allow access to the data even after they have been removed or changed from the University’s online services mentioned above.

6. Your Rights as a Data Subject

As a data subject, you may exercise at any time the rights granted to you under the EU GDPR:

The right of access to information on whether and which of your data are being processed (Art. 15 EU GDPR)
The right to request rectification or completion of your data (Art. 16 EU GDPR)
The right to erasure of your data in accordance with Art. 17 EU GDPR
The right to request restriction of processing in accordance with Art. 18 EU GDPR
The right to withdraw your consent at any time. The lawfulness of processing carried out on the basis of consent before its withdrawal remains unaffected (Art. 7(3) EU GDPR).

In addition to the rights mentioned above, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Art. 77 EU GDPR), for example with the authority responsible for the University:

State Commissioner for Data Protection and
Freedom of Information of North Rhine-Westphalia
Kavalleriestraße 2–4
40213 Düsseldorf
Germany