FAQ

Please ask question and report any problem you may have. We are looking forward to your feedback.

We’ll try to answer individually. The most frequently asked questions and our responses will be posted here.

1. Charges

Will I have to pay for registering with iversity?

No, registering with iversity is completely free for our individual users.

We only charge for customized services commissioned by institutions, e.g. setting up a subnetwork. If you should be interested in one of our customize solutions, please contact us.

Will iversity remain free in the future

Yes, iversity is meant to remain free of charge.

In case this were to change for unforeseen reasons, we will provide you with all the relevant details ahead of time. In no case will you have to pay for accessing and using data that you uploaded to the platform using your free account. Should we decided to change our terms and conditions this will not impact any on-going classes. Changes will apply only to those courses that have been created after the change of our terms and conditions.

2. Data privacy and copyright

Is my personal data safe?

iversity will never sell your personal data to any third part. iversity only uses your data to provide the services described in the terms and conditions. Should you choose to delete your iversity account all your personal data will be wiped out (see also: Data Privacy )

Will I lose the copyright for content published on iversity?

No, the copyright stays with its owner. Publishing content on iversity does in not affect the copyright. Generally, sharing educational materials within a closed group (e.g. a class) is considered ‘fair use’. Yet, the responsibility to check whether or not a certain piece may or may not be publish online ultimately remains with the user.

Will content that I create on / upload to iversity be public?

Both groups and courses on iversity can be password protected. In that case only members of the group or course will have access to its content. If you wish to, however, you choose to make your own posts within password protected areas publicly available.

Will iversity store the personal data contained in my profile and what will happen when I cancel my account?

After canceling your account your data will only be stored for XX weeks to prevent data loss; after that it will be deleted completely. Your data is safe and will not be disclosed to a third party.

Is my data protected against data loss?

Regular backups ensure that content uploaded to iversity will not be lost even if iversity were to face serious technical difficulties. Our professional backup strategy is much safer than standard backup solutions. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as 100% security. Absolute protection against data loss cannot be guaranteed and iversity cannot be held liable for any costs or damages incurred due to data loss. It is advised that every user backs up files of particular importance.

3. About iversity

For what exactly can I use iversity?

You can...

  • organize research groups, courses and conferences online. These can be password protected or open to the entire network.
  • manage and discuss material (e.g. files, bibliographical references, links, pictures) with other members and connect using standard social networking features (e.g. contacts, messaging).
  • publish individual pieces of content even from within a closed group so as to make them accessible to the larger academic community.
  • search for content published in iversity’s inter-university community and get in touch with colleagues from all over the world.
What are the advantages of iversity over other similar platforms?

iversity is the first inter-university platform for research and teaching. iversity facilitates working in teams across different institutions as it stores data in the cloud. This allows users to take their content with them, even when they move on from one institution to another (e.g. when starting a master after completing a bachelor degree). Institutional subnetworks provide new avenues for higher education marketing and strengthen staff, student and alumni identification with their alma mater. (⇒ More advantages and goals)

What does iversity mean?

First of all, iversity is a name that stands for itself. But of course there are several meanings that can be associated with it:

  • university (because of the university environment of the platform)
  • diversity (because of the networking effect that spans diverse countries, universities, departments, subjects and students)
  • iversity (the ‘i’ standing for internet, intellect, information — and for I, the individual user who forms the core unit of the platform).
Who created iversity?

Iversity was initiated by a team of dedicated students with the support of a number of professors. Today we are a small, professional team based in Berlin, Germany. (⇒ Team)

Further questions

I can’t find an answer to my question here. Whom may I contact ?

We would love to hear from you and we are trying to answer any questions you may have as fast as possible. You can reach us...

  • by clicking the feedback button (in the upper right of every page)
  • by sending an email to: office [at] iversity.org
  • by calling us at +49 30 5770 9338-1