METHODOLOGY, DATA SOURCES

1.1. Edline (myedline.com) is an online education platform providing information and analytical tools to help students:

• research and compare universities abroad;
• plan the admissions process;
• analyse the academic and financial parameters of universities;
• organise notes, essays, tasks and admission plans;

track application deadlines.

1.2. The Platform is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and is not:

• an official source of university data;
• a state educational resource;
• an admissions consultancy;

a representative or agent of any university.

2.1. Edline is a fully independent educational platform.

2.2. Edline:

• does not represent the interests of any university;
• is not affiliated with the universities mentioned on the Platform;
• does not receive payment from universities for their inclusion in the database or in any ranking;
• does not influence universities' decisions on admission, rejection or financial aid;

does not act as an intermediary between Users and universities.

2.3. All university names, trade marks, logos and other means of identification mentioned on the Platform are the property of the respective organisations and are used solely for informational purposes to identify educational institutions.

3.1. The Edline Index is an analytical index developed by the Platform for the comparative analysis of universities from the perspective of international students.

3.2. The Edline Index is intended to help Users assess and compare universities on key parameters, which may include:

• academic strength and reputation;
• graduate career outcomes;
• accessibility of study for international students;
• the scale and availability of financial aid;

other parameters determined by the index methodology.

3.3. The Edline Index is based on:

• open and publicly available data;
• the Platform's own analytical formula;

transparent methodological principles.

3.4. Legal status of the Edline Index:

• The Edline Index:
• is not an official ranking of universities;
• is not an academic assessment of the quality of education;
• is not financial or investment advice;
• is not a recommendation to apply to any particular university;

is not a guarantee of any outcome.

The Edline Index is solely an informational tool for comparative analysis, intended to help Users make informed decisions.

4.1. Information about universities used on the Platform is gathered solely from open and official sources, which may include:

• universities' official websites;
• universities' official publications and reports (Common Data Set, Factbooks and similar);
• state education databases (IPEDS, NCES and similar);
• open academic databases;
• international education rankings and studies;

professional and industry publications.

4.2. Edline does not use:

• confidential university data;
• paid closed databases;
• data obtained through leaks or unauthorised access;

data obtained by breaching the terms of use of third-party resources.

4.3. Edline does not own the universities' source data and claims no authorship of it. All data is obtained from open sources.

4.4. The extraction of information about universities from official publicly available sources may be carried out by automated means, including artificial intelligence systems. Each record is accompanied by its source and the date it was checked. Automated collection is carried out only from publicly available pages, in compliance with the terms of use of the resources concerned, and without circumventing technical restrictions.

5.1. Edline makes reasonable efforts to ensure that the information presented on the Platform is accurate and current.

5.2. However, Edline does not guarantee:

• the absolute accuracy, completeness or currency of the data presented;
• that data on the Platform matches universities' current data;

the absence of errors, typographical mistakes or inaccuracies.

5.3. University data may change. Universities' official publications may be updated and revised. Calculation methodologies may be adjusted.

5.4. In the event of any discrepancy between information on the Platform and universities' official data, the universities' official sources must take precedence. Users are strongly advised to verify information against universities' official websites before taking decisions.

6.1. In some cases universities' open data may require analytical interpretation for the purposes of comparative analysis.

6.2. Edline may apply reasoned analytical interpretation of public data when:

• calculating Edline Index indicators;
• comparing universities across different parameters;
• producing analytical reports and summaries;

bringing data from different sources into a single format.

6.3. Analytical interpretation is based solely on available public data and transparent methodological principles. Edline does not fabricate data and does not create information unsupported by sources.

7.1. The Edline Platform uses artificial intelligence systems. The terms on which they are used, the data processed, the recipients, the marking of results and Users' rights are set out in the AI Use Policy published on the Platform.

7.2. For the purposes of this document the following is material: the Edline Index, the university fit indicators and the Platform's other numerical indicators are calculated arithmetically under the Operator's deterministic methodology, without recourse to artificial intelligence systems. Artificial intelligence systems play no part in calculating these indicators and do not affect their values.

7.3. Artificial intelligence systems are used to produce textual material (essay reviews, profile descriptions, explanations accompanying the application report), for translation assistance with the Platform's content, and for extracting information about universities from official sources with subsequent verification.

8.1. The Edline Platform is available in the following languages:

• Russian;
• English;

Kazakh.

8.2. Additional languages may be added in future.

8.3. Translations are produced using professional resources. Texts are checked and corrected before publication.

8.4. In the event of any discrepancy between the language versions of the Platform's content, the Russian version prevails unless expressly stated otherwise.

9.1. The Edline Platform may use various types of visual material:

• illustrations created by the Platform;
• images from open sources (Creative Commons licences, public domain);
• information and visual elements from universities' official publications (used for informational purposes);

graphic elements and icons created or licensed by the Platform.

9.2. Edline claims no ownership rights in universities' logos, trade marks or official images. Their use is fair use for informational purposes, to identify educational institutions.

9.3. If a rights holder considers that material published on the Platform infringes their rights, they may send a notice to info@myedline.com. Edline will consider the notice and, if the infringement is confirmed, will remove the disputed content without delay.

10.1. The Edline Index methodology and the Platform's other analytical approaches may be updated to improve the accuracy and transparency of the analysis.

10.2. Edline reserves the right to:

• correct data when errors are found;
• rectify inaccuracies;
• recalculate Edline Index values when the methodology is updated;
• update calculation formulas and algorithms;
• add new data sources;

exclude data sources that are no longer current or reliable.

10.3. Information about methodology updates may be published on the Platform.

11.1. All rankings, assessments, comparisons, analytical materials and other information presented on the Edline Platform are provided solely for educational and informational purposes.

11.2. Edline does not guarantee:

• the User's admission to any university;
• the award of financial aid or a scholarship;
• the grant of a visa;
• employment or career outcomes;

any other outcome connected with the use of the Platform's information.

11.3. Decisions on student admission, financial aid and employment are taken solely by the universities, employers and state bodies concerned.

11.4. By using the Platform, the User confirms that they understand: rankings and analytical materials are tools for comparative analysis; the information is informational in nature; individual outcomes may differ substantially.

11.5. Edline is not liable for decisions taken by Users on the basis of information presented on the Platform.

12.1. The Edline Platform may be used by Users from various countries. The information on the Platform is aimed primarily at international students considering admission to universities abroad.

12.2. The information on the Platform is not intended to replace universities' official sources. Users are strongly advised to consult universities' official websites and representatives for the most current information.

12.3. Edline is not liable for differences in legislation, educational standards or admissions practice between jurisdictions.

13.1. This document is available in Russian, Kazakh and English.

13.2. In the event of any discrepancy between the language versions, the Russian version prevails.

14.1. Edline reserves the right to make changes to this document.

14.2. An updated version is published on the Platform stating the date of the last update.

• For matters relating to the methodology, data sources or disclosures:

Name: ИП «QG Consulting»

Surname, given name: Баймагамбетова Эльмира

Registration number: KZ21UWQ02673326

Registering body: State Revenue Department for Medeu District

Address: 124 Aimanov Street, office 507, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan

Telephone: +7 (747) 403-73-53

Email: info@myedline.com

Working hours: The Platform is available 24/7. Enquiries are handled on working days from 10:00 to 19:00 (UTC+5).

Platform: Edline (myedline.com)