OPIN.FI - TERMS OF USE

Updated 17.6.2024

1 Scope of application

Opin.fi is an online service produced by the Finnish higher education institutions and their service provider, HigherEd Hub Finland Oy. In this Service, Users can browse and register for studies offered by the institutions participating in the Service.

These Terms of use concern Opin.fi online service and its use. The Service is provided as part of the Digivision 2030(Avautuu uuteen välilehteen) project. The Service is primarily intended for natural persons.

2 Definitions

"Materials" refer to all types of content in the Service.

"Terms" mean these Terms of use.

"System" covers the hardware and software used to maintain the Service.

"Studies" mean education, including courses and other study options, offered by the Institutions and presented in the Service.

"Study Option" refers to an individual unit of Studies.

"User" is a person with access rights to the Service.

"Institution" refers to the higher education institutions and other educational institutions listed on Opin.fi front page that present their educational content in the Service.

"Service" means the digital Opin.fi online service which these Terms concern and which the Service Provider produces and maintains.

"Service Provider" refers to HigherEd Hub Oy and its affiliated companies.

3 Service description and Service use

3.1 Introduction

The Service consists of a website produced and maintained by the Service Provider. Using interfaces, the Service Provider posts on the website descriptions of Studies offered by various Institutions that participate in the Service. Users can retrieve their study information through interfaces and save it in the Service. Users can browse the Studies and read descriptions of Study Options in the Service, and go to the Institutions' registration services from the Service.

Other Materials related to studying, including blogs and other written material, are also published in the Service.

The Service is available in Finnish, Swedish and English. The Service may contain Materials that are not offered in all three languages.

3.2 Profile

To use certain features of the Service (saving Studies, using recommendations, downloading information on completed studies from Virta study information service, email reminders), the User must create a profile in the Service. For example, the profile enables the User to save interesting Studies. The User can import credentials and information on degrees they have completed into their profile. When creating a profile, the Service retrieves the User's learner number from the Finnish National Agency for Education's learner number register: opintopolku.fi(Avautuu uuteen välilehteen). The learner number and information imported into the profile are used to identify and authenticate the User in the Service, and possibly in Institutions' registration services.

If they wish, the User can manage their consents in the Profile administration view.

When a User deletes their profile, all information in the profile will be removed from the Service. Any consents the User has given in the Service will also be withdrawn. The User is responsible for backing up the information, files and documents they have saved in or through the Service and for ensuring their functionality. The Service Provider accepts no liability for damages caused by the destruction, loss or alteration of information, files or documents or the costs incurred from recovering them.

3.3 Browsing Studies

The User can browse and search for Studies through the user interface of the Service.

The search function enables the User to search for and filter the Studies, for example using search terms or such filters as implementation method, language, Institution or similar.

In the Study Options view the User can, for example, read descriptions of Study Option contents, implementation methods and dates, scope of studies, what learners need to know before taking a Study Option, learning outcomes and other information related to the Studies in question. The User can also go from the Study Options view to the registration service of the Institution offering a Study Option if the Institution has shared a registration link. The information in the Study Options views is produced by the Institutions, and their content may differ between Institutions.

3.4 Registering for Study Options

To register for Study Options, Users go to the Institutions' registration services.

These registration services are not part of the Service, and the Service Provider shall have no responsibility for them whatsoever. The registration criteria, terms of service or other terms and conditions specific to the Institutions apply to the Studies and registration for Study Options.

The User may need a Learner Number or right to study in order to register for Study Options.

3.5 User's responsibilities

By using the Service, you agree to these Terms of use. The Service is intended exclusively for personal and non-commercial use. An account created in the Service may not be transferred to a third party.

The User bears the sole responsibility for using the Service. The Service Provider is not responsible for the use the User makes of the Service.

In all use of the Service, the User undertakes to comply with these Terms, other rules and instructions concerning the use of the Service, as well as legislation and good custom.

The User is responsible for the accuracy of the information they share through the Service.

The User is responsible for ensuring that they have all the required copyrights and other rights and/or consents of right-holders to materials they publish in the Service and any other material that they send, transmit or save using the Service. The User undertakes not to send or share (for example by providing links) any documents, messages or other material through the Service that

• infringes the ownership, copyright or other rights of third parties;

• is offensive, insulting, defamatory, associated with or inciting to criminal activity, indecent, or otherwise in breach of the law or good custom;

• is harmful or damaging to the Service Provider, other Users or a third party; or

• may expose the Service to disruption, an exceptionally high load or other service downtime.

If the User's actions cause a defect in the Service or a condition that adversely affects the usability, operation or lawfulness of the Service or the rights of third parties, the User shall compensate the Service Provider for any damages caused by this, as well as for the costs incurred from locating and repairing such defects. The Service Provider has the right to close the User's account if the account is used in violation of these Terms.

The User shall be liable, in full and at their own expense, for any damage they have caused by using the Service in breach of these Terms, the law or good custom, and for the costs incurred by the Service Provider, other Users and third parties from investigating such damage.

4 Data protection and information security

The Privacy statement of the Service is available at: privacy-statement.

The Service Provider shall take appropriate and adequate action to ensure the confidentiality, availability and integrity of the data processed in the Service. The standard of information security in the Service is regularly assessed by means of internal testing and external audits. Log data are collected on Service use to ensure information security and to investigate any cases of abuse.

5 Intellectual property rights

All intellectual property rights to the Service, software, Materials and work associated with the provision of the Service as well as the resulting materials, software and applications belong to the Service Provider, the Institutions or their employees or subcontractors, or to a third party providing a licence for the Service Provider's service or software, and these rights are in no part transferred to the User.

The Service Provider shall not be liable for any infringement of intellectual property rights insofar as they concern a Service other than that provided by the Service Provider.

6 Service provider's responsibilities and limitation of liability

The Service Provider is responsible for the System, the provision of the Service, and the lawfulness of the Materials they produce. The Service Provider has the right to provide the Service in the manner they deem best.

The Service Provider is not obliged to provide the Service, and they are entitled to interrupt or stop providing the Service at their discretion.

The Service Provider is not responsible for the information presented in the Service being accurate, up to date or complete.

The Service Provider is not liable for the operation of the Service nor any downtime, faults or other defects affecting or preventing the use of the Service.

The Service Provider is not be liable for any direct or indirect damages resulting from the use of the Service or its failure to operate.

7 Third-party links and integrations

7.1 Links

The Service contains links to third-party websites, including the Institutions' course and registration portals. The Service Provider is not responsible for any links to third-party websites contained in the Service or for such websites or their content.

7.2 Service integrations

The Service contains a number of service integrations that enable the User to import and save information selected by them to their profile (see sections 3.2 and 4).

The Service contains the following service integrations of the Service Provider:

1. VIRTA study information system

2. Register of Learner Numbers (Finnish National Board of Education)

3. Haka user authentication system

The service also contains the following third-party service integrations:

1. Peppi study information system(Avautuu uuteen välilehteen)

2. SISU study information system(Avautuu uuteen välilehteen)

3. Suomi.fi(Avautuu uuteen välilehteen)

The Service Provider shall have limited responsibility for their service integrations linked to the Service or the information obtained using them. The Service Provider is not responsible for third-party service integrations.

8 Copyrights

All text, images and other material presented in the Service are protected by copyright. The content of the Service may not be copied, distributed, displayed publicly or otherwise used without the consent of the Service Provider or other right-holder.

9 Accessibility

The Accessibility statement of the Service is available at: accessibility.

10 Changes to Terms

The Service Provider may modify these Terms of use by publishing an updated version of them on the Service website. The Service Provider will notify the User of any changes when the User logs in to the Service.

However, if any part of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, the Terms shall remain valid in all other respects.

11 Settlement of disputes and applicable law

These Terms shall be governed by Finnish law, with the exception of its conflict-of-law provisions. These Terms do not restrict the consumer's rights laid down in mandatory Finnish legislation. If, in a possible dispute, the Service Provider and the User cannot reach an agreement, the dispute will be resolved by the Helsinki District Court.

If the User is a consumer, they may also have the dispute resolved by the District Court of their domicile and/or request a Consumer Disputes Board recommendation.

12 Contact details

Users shall send any written notifications or feedback relating to these Terms to the Service Provider's email address at: servicedesk@opin.fi. The Service Provider will respond to feedback on accessibility within 14 days. The Service Provider may send written notifications regarding these Terms to the most recent email address provided by the User or to an address otherwise provided by the User. General bulletins concerning the Service may also be published on the Service website. The User shall notify the Service Provider of any changes to their contact details without delay.