Please read this cookie policy (“cookie policy”, "policy") carefully before using the website www.brussels-school.be (“website”, "service") operated by the Brussels School of Governance ("us", 'we", "our"), which is an alliance between the Institute for European Studies (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Vesalius College.
What are cookies?
Cookies are simple text files that are stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier, website’s domain name, and some digits and numbers.
What types of cookies do we use?
Necessary cookies
Necessary cookies allow us to offer you the best possible experience when accessing and navigating through our website and using its features. For example, these cookies let us recognize that you have created an account and have logged into that account.
Performance cookies
Performance cookies collect information about how you use our website e.g. which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors, for example in forms. These cookies don't collect any information that could identify you – all the information collected is anonymous and is only used to help us improve how our website works, understand what interests our users and measure how effective our advertising is.
Targeting cookies
Targeting or advertising cookies are used to target advertisements to the interests of users, based upon previous web browsing activity. They are linked to services provided by third parties. You can control whether or not these cookies are used, but preventing them may stop us from offering you some services. As these cookies are managed by third parties, you may alternatively use the third parties' own tools to prevent these cookies.
Additionally, the three types of cookies mentioned above can be broken down into two further sub-types.
- Session cookies are temporary, allowing the website to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. All session cookies expire and are deleted when the session finishes.
- Persistent cookies remain on a user's device for a set period of time specified in the cookie. These can last after you have closed your browser and allow a website to remember your actions and preferences.
Which cookies do we use?
Below is an overview of the cookies that are used on our website www.brussels-school.be. We use Google Analytics, and may in the future use GA4, to analyse our website traffic.
| Name | Usage | Category | Type | Lifespan |
| has_js | Registers whether or not the user has activated JavaScript in the browser. | Strictly Necessary Cookies | Session | Session |
| lang | Remembers the user's selected language version of a website. | Strictly Necessary Cookies | Session | Session |
| _ga | Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. | Performance Cookies | Persistent | 2 years |
| _gat | Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate. | Performance Cookies | Persistent | 1 day |
| _gid | Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. | Performance Cookies | Persistent | 1 day |
| _fbp | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 3 months |
| _gcl_au | Used by Google AdSense for experimenting with advertisement efficiency across websites using their services. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 3 months |
| ads/ga-audiences | Used by Google AdWords to re-en age visitors that are likely to convert to customers based on the visitor's online behaviour across websites. | Targeting Cookies | Session | Session |
| bcookie | Used by the social networking service, Linkedin, for tracking the use of embedded services. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 2 years |
| bscookie | Used by the social networking service, Linkedin, for tracking the use of embedded services. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 2 years |
| fr | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 3 months |
| lang | Set by Linkedin when a webpage contains an embedded "Follow us" panel. | Targeting Cookies | Session | Session |
| lidc | Used by the social networking service, Linkedin, for tracking the use of embedded services. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 1 day |
| tr | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers. | Targeting Cookies | Session | Session |
| UserMatchHistory | Used to track visitors on multiple websites, in order to present relevant advertisement based on the visitor's preferences. | Targeting Cookies | Persistent | 29 days |
How to delete cookies?
If you want to restrict or block the cookies that are set by our website, you can do so through your browser settings. Alternatively, you can visit www.internetcookies.org, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers and devices. You will find general information about cookies and details on how to delete cookies from your device.
Contacting us
If you have any questions about this policy or our use of cookies, please contact us on privacy_bsog@vub.be.
