Introduction

This statement is provided to you by AFC Agriculture & Finance Consultants (hereafter in this text often abbreviated as AFC or "we"), a company which is part of the GOPA Consulting Group, one of the leading European private and independent consulting groups in the area of development cooperation. Our clients are national and supranational institutions and organizations, such as national ministries or organizations like the European Commission or the World Bank. We are implementing projects for our clients by deploying own staff or by hiring and deploying freelance experts. Many of the projects are implemented by us alone, while others are implemented together with partner organizations and companies.

Gender description

To enhance the text's readability, the masculine form is used throughout for personal identification purposes. However, it is important to note that this includes individuals of all genders.

Disclaimer

Excluding the company's contact details, AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH explicitly reserves the right to disclaim responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information provided on this website. AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH shall not be held liable for any damages resulting from the use of this website unless such damages result from intentional misconduct. It should be noted that all offers presented on this webpage are subject to change, do not imply any binding commitment, and remain subject to accountability. Sections of the webpages or the entire publication, including all offers and information, may be expanded, modified, or partially or completely removed by AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH without the need for separate notice. Additionally, AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH reserves the right to temporarily or indefinitely modify the content of the webpage. AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH assumes no responsibility for any external links advertised on this page, as these are the sole responsibility of third parties. AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH explicitly states that it has no control over the current or future design, content, or authorship of linked webpages. We expressly distance ourselves from any content linked or referred to from this page. We also disclaim any association with pages that may change after the link has been inserted. AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH in no way adopts or takes ownership of such content. We appreciate receiving reports of questionable content on pages linked from our webpage or from external links leading to our page.

Legal validity of the disclaimer

This disclaimer is an integral component of the internet publication from which you were directed. This holds especially true for the utilization of the entire domains afci.de and afc- fsd.academy. In the event that specific sections or individual terms within this statement are found to be unlawful or incorrect, the content or legality of the remaining portions shall remain unaffected by such findings.

Copyright

All content and structures on this website are subject to copyright protection. The act of publishing them on the internet or on any additional internet platforms does not imply consent for further use by third parties. We permit and encourage the citation of our documents and the inclusion of links to our website, provided that established citation norms are followed. This entails acknowledging that the content originates from AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH and ensuring that the cited content is not misrepresented as the work of third parties.

Respect for Intellectual Property Rights

Any trademarks that are mentioned on this website, whether registered by us or third parties, are fully subject to the provisions of the relevant trademark laws and the proprietary rights of their respective registered owners. The mere mention of these trademarks does not imply that they are unprotected by the rights of third parties.

Responsibility for the Content of Linked Websites. Disclaimer.

The exclusive responsibility for the content of websites linked individually rests with their respective owners. We wish to emphasize explicitly that we have no control over the design and content of the linked web pages, and consequently, we disclaim any responsibility for them. If any of the linked sites contain illegal content or infringe upon the law or your personal rights in any manner, we kindly request you to officially notify us of such issues. In the event that we inadvertently infringe upon any copyright on our website, please bring it to our attention accordingly. Generally, we encourage linking to our webpage and grant permission for this upon request. However, AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH strictly prohibits links from or to websites whose content constitutes a criminal offense and is subject to legal penalties.

All rights reserved.

© AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH

Terms and Conditions

General Conditions

for all Degree Programmes, Certificate Courses of Studies, Seminars

1. Application

1.1 These general terms and conditions govern the entire business relationship between the participant or seminar attendee (hereinafter referred to as the "Participant") and AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "AFC") upon the execution of a contract related to a degree program, seminar, or certificate program (hereinafter referred to as the "Program"). The use of the masculine gender in references applies inclusively to the feminine gender. 1.2 Additionally, specific terms and conditions that may deviate from or supplement these general terms and conditions are applicable to individual business transactions. These specific terms and conditions will be specified upon contract execution with the Participant. In cases where the specific terms and conditions provide conflicting terms or as otherwise mutually agreed, they shall take precedence.

2. The Participant’s duty to co-operate

2.1 The Participant is required to promptly furnish AFC with all the requisite information and documentation for the delivery of the Program. It is especially crucial for the smooth operation of business that the Participant promptly notifies AFC of any changes in their name or contact information. 2.2 The Participant must promptly verify the accuracy and completeness of all certificates and other communications received from AFC and promptly report any discrepancies.

3. e-mail address

3.1 Unless otherwise agreed, it is necessary for the orderly and timely completion of all formalities associated with the course of studies for the Participant to provide AFC with an e- mail address and check their e-mail regularly. Participants will usually be notified of, e.g. timetables, changes, study instructions, and important information (for example, exam results) by email. 3.2. Email communication may be unencrypted. 3.3 It is the responsibility of the Participant to ensure that their email address is protected from unauthorized access by third parties.

4. Study material

4.1 The study material provided by AFC serves as a support for the Participant. It does not in any way exempt the Participant from the responsibility to conduct their own research, participate in attendance modules, and stay updated on current developments in the subject area. 4.2 AFC retains the right to modify, replace, and particularly, periodically revise the provided study material.

5. Rights in the study material

5.1 The study material, whether in electronic or printed form, is furnished to the Participant exclusively for the course of study and for personal use. 5.2 Unless stipulated otherwise or indicated, all rights to the study material are reserved by AFC. 5.3 The Participant shall not share the AFC's study material, as well as the instructional material provided via the extranet or other media, with third parties, disseminate it through any other means, or violate the copyright therein. Reproduction is permissible solely for the purpose of personal study.

6. Liability

6.1 Without prejudice to the provisions above and the subsequent limitations of liability, AFC bears full responsibility for any harm to life, physical well-being, and health resulting from a negligent or intentional breach of duty by its legal representatives or agents acting on its behalf. Furthermore, AFC is liable for all damages arising from intentional or grossly negligent breaches of contract and malicious acts by its legal representatives or agents. 6.2 AFC's liability for negligence excludes property damage and economic loss, except in cases involving the breach of a contractual term that is essential for the orderly execution of the contract, jeopardizes the fulfillment of the contract's purpose, and upon which the Participant regularly relies (referred to hereafter as a "cardinal obligation"). Liability for the breach of such a cardinal obligation is limited to foreseeable damages that are typical for this type of contract. Additionally, AFC is not liable for simple negligent breaches of ancillary obligations that are not fundamental to the contract. The limitations of liability mentioned in section 6.2 also apply to the legal representatives, executives, and other agents of AFC. 6.3 Further liability of AFC is excluded, irrespective of the legal nature of the asserted claim. To the extent that liability is excluded or limited, this also pertains to the personal liability of employees, representatives, and agents of AFC. 6.4 Any variations in special conditions applicable to specific business transactions or as otherwise agreed shall take precedence.

7. Business disruption

AFC shall not be held responsible for damages resulting from force majeure, civil disturbances, war, natural disasters, or other factors beyond its control (such as strikes, lockouts, operational disruptions, domestic or foreign government intervention).

8. Liability of the Participant

If there is a loss attributable to the fault of the Participant (for instance, a violation of the duty to cooperate as outlined in clause 2 of these terms and conditions), the allocation of responsibility for the loss between AFC and the Participant shall be determined by the principles of contributory negligence.

9. Termination

9.1 Unless otherwise specified in the special conditions for a particular Program, the contract for a Program can be terminated by the Participant with notice provided no later than four weeks before the Program's commencement. 9.2 The notice of termination must be submitted in text form (e-mail to info@afci.de) and upon the Participant's request, AFC will confirm receipt of the termination notice. 9.3 Both AFC and the Participant have the right to terminate the contract for justifiable reasons. AFC may terminate the contract without prior notice, particularly if despite written warning and a set deadline, the Participant's conduct significantly disrupts the orderly teaching, the operation of the Program, or the cooperative atmosphere among fellow students, teachers, AFC, or its staff or in case of a breach of AFC’s Code of Conduct according to clause 13. Section 323, paragraph 2 of the German Civil Code (BGB) shall apply mutatis mutandis.

10. Lecturers, dates and place of study

10.1 AFC exercises discretion in selecting instructors and establishing the course program and/or examination program. 10.2 AFC determines the academic calendar and examination dates. 10.3 The specification of the study location implies that courses at this venue are typically conducted as in-person classroom events. AFC reserves the right to relocate individual courses or courses from specific departments to an alternative location within a reasonable distance or to offer them as online courses when official, health, instructional, spatial, or similar requirements necessitate such changes. In cases where there are pedagogical or organizational reasons for doing so, and participants have been adequately informed, portions or the entirety of a program's courses may be conducted online. Online events in the aforementioned context generally involve real-time transmission, allowing for continuous interaction between instructors and participants, similar to a traditional classroom setting. 10.4 Participants are not entitled to reimbursement for any additional expenses incurred.

11. Amendments

11.1 Any modifications to these general terms and conditions and the special terms and conditions will be formally communicated to the Participant in writing. 11.2 If the Participant has previously consented to electronic communication with AFC in their business relationship (e.g., via the internet or extranet), amendments may be conveyed through these electronic means, provided that the communication method allows the Participant to store or print the amendments in a legible format. 11.3 Changes to these general terms and conditions are considered accepted unless the Participant objects in writing or through the agreed-upon electronic communication channels. AFC will explicitly reference this consequence in the notification. The Participant is required to submit their objection to AFC within six weeks of receiving notice of the amendments.

12. Written form

12.1 No informal or verbal agreements exist alongside this contract. Any side agreements must be documented in writing. 12.2 Alterations, additions, and the termination of this contract are only valid when presented in text form (e-mail is sufficient) This requirement also applies to any modifications to this clause.

13. Application of German Law

German law is applicable to the business relationship between the Participant and AFC.

14. Place of performance

The place of performance of AFC ’s educational obligation is the location chosen by AFC.

15. Jurisdiction

In the event that the Participant is a business, a public law corporate body, or a legal entity, all disputes arising from the contractual relationship between the Participant and AFC shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located at AFC's registered office in Bonn, Germany. To the fullest extent permitted by law, this also applies if the Participant is a private person.

16. Online Dispute Resolution

The European Commission has established a platform for online dispute resolution (commonly known as the "OS platform" accessible at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. It is important to note that AFC does not engage in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer dispute settlement entity.