Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

In these Terms, "the Organizer" means Proud Pen, the organizer of the Event; "the Event" means the International Conference on Higher Education and Lifelong Learning (HLCONF), held in Paris, France, on 10–12 June 2027; "the Participant" means any person registered for the Event in any category, including oral, poster and virtual presenters and listeners; and "the Booking Contact" means a person who completes a registration on behalf of a Participant; and "the Website" means hlconf.org.

2. Registration and Payment

2.1Registration is completed online through the Website and becomes binding upon payment of the registration fee.

2.2All fees are stated in EUR (€) and must be paid in advance. On-site payment is not available.

2.3Additional fees apply for additional accepted papers, co-authors attending in person and additional listeners, as shown on the Registration page. Additional listeners pay the listener fee.

2.4A presentation is confirmed only for an accepted abstract with a completed and paid registration.

2.5Where a Booking Contact registers on behalf of a Participant, the Booking Contact receives payment and financial correspondence, and the Participant receives their own badge, certificate, programme and joining details. Where a pro forma invoice has been issued, the institution named on it is the billing recipient.

2.6For bank transfers, a place is confirmed only once the payment has been matched to the registration. Bank transfer charges are borne by the Participant or paying institution.

2.7A receipt is issued with payment confirmation, and invoices are issued on request. The Participant is responsible for supplying accurate billing details before payment.

2.8Pro forma invoices are optional and issued on request before payment. A request or issued pro forma invoice is not a registration and does not reserve a place or extend a fee deadline. Each pro forma invoice states its validity date. After payment, the normal registration form must be completed with the transfer receipt, and the payment must be matched before registration is confirmed.

3. Cancellation and Non-attendance

3.1CANCELLATION POLICY — In case of any cancellation or non-attendance, unfortunately the registration fees are not refundable.

3.2A registered Participant may be substituted by a colleague at no additional charge, provided the Organizer is notified in writing before the final registration deadline of 31 May 2027.

3.3A Participant registered for in-person attendance may switch to virtual participation at no additional charge, subject to notifying the Organizer before the Event.

3.4Non-attendance for any reason, including the refusal or delay of a visa or travel document, does not entitle the Participant to a refund.

4. Event Changes

4.1The Organizer may amend the programme, speakers, session times, venue or format of the Event where necessary.

4.2Where the Event is rescheduled or its format is changed, existing registrations transfer automatically to the amended Event.

4.3The Organizer is not liable for consequential costs incurred by the Participant, including travel, accommodation or visa expenses.

5. Invitation Letters and Visas

5.1Invitation letters are issued only after registration and payment have been completed.

5.2An invitation letter confirms the Participant's registration and expected participation in the Event. It does not guarantee the issuance of a visa or any other travel permission.

5.3All decisions on travel documentation rest with the relevant embassy, consulate or authority and are outside the Organizer's control.

5.4The Participant is responsible for the accuracy of the details supplied for the letter.

6. Intellectual Property and Recording

6.1Authors retain full copyright of their work.

6.2By submitting, authors grant the Organizer permission to publish the accepted abstract and, where applicable, the full paper in the Event's Abstract Book, Proceedings, programme and related archives.

6.3Accepted work is published open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). This is the single copyright and publication agreement accepted at submission.

6.4The Participant confirms that the submitted work is original, unpublished, not under review elsewhere and approved by all co-authors, and that any research involving human participants had appropriate ethical approval and consent.

6.5The Event may be photographed and recorded. Participation implies consent to the use of such material for documentation and promotion. Participants may opt out by contacting [email protected].

7. Code of Conduct

7.1All Participants are expected to behave respectfully toward other participants, speakers, staff and venue personnel.

7.2Harassment, discrimination and disruptive behaviour are not tolerated.

7.3The Organizer may refuse admission to, or remove from the Event, any Participant in breach of this section, without refund.

8. Liability

8.1Participation in the Event is at the Participant's own risk, within the limits permitted by law.

8.2The Organizer is not liable for loss of or damage to personal property at the venue.

8.3Participants are advised to arrange their own travel and health insurance.

9. Data Protection

Personal data is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

10. Governing Law and Contact

10.1These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Organizer is established.

10.2Questions regarding these Terms: [email protected]

11. Academic Integrity and Generative AI

11.1Submissions are subject to the conference's Policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies.

11.2In manuscript writing, authors may use generative AI only to improve the language and readability of their own text, and must disclose that use, identifying the tool and its purpose. Basic spelling, grammar, punctuation and reference-formatting checks do not require disclosure.

11.3Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality and references of their submission. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

11.4Where AI forms part of the research, its use must be described in the methodology.

11.5The full policy is published on the Generative AI Author Policy page.