Conference Venue – Complex Computational Ecosystems

Conference venue - French-Azerbaijani University

French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) is an ambitious project initiated by the Presidents of the French Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2014. It is administered by the historic university of Azerbaijan – the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU) from the Azerbaijani side and the prestigious University of Strasbourg (Unistra) from the French side. UFAZ students receive two national diplomas (French and Azerbaijani) upon graduation.

UFAZ offers 4 programs in bachelor degree (computer science, chemical engineering, oil and gas engineering, geophysics and geological engineering) and 3 programs in master degree (physical chemistry and chemical engineering, geosciences, data sciences and artificial intelligence).

Baku, Azerbaijan

Baku is the capital and economic center of Azerbaijan, located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, 28 metres below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world and also the largest city in the world located below sea level.

Baku lies on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, alongside the Bay of Baku. The fortress wall surrounds the Old City, where the former royal residence of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the famous Maiden Tower are located.

The Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower are classified a UNESCO’s World Heritage since 2000. Examples of modern architecture in Baku are the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid, and the Flame Towers, three skyscrapers.

Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape

In June 1948, the archaeological expedition of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR has discovered a Latin inscription on a large rock near the southeastern slope of the Boyuk-Dash mountain, which reads: IMP DOMITIANO CAESARE AVG GERMANIC, LVCIVS IVLIVS MAXIMVS CENTVRIO LEG XII FVL (To Imp(erator) Domitianus Caesa Aug(ustus) Germanicus, (by) Lucius Julius Maximus, Centurion of Leg(ion) XII Ful(minata).

Roman inscription

Because of its uniqueness and mysteriousness, the inscription attracted attention of specialists in Latin epigraphy and history of ancient Rome and Transcaucasia. It is the easternmost of all known Latin inscriptions, and is the only Latin inscription found on the territory of ancient Caucasian Albania.

Gaval Dash

The Gaval Dash is a natural musical stone which can only be found in Gobustan, Azerbaijan. It stands at the entrance to the reserve, and is one of four “singing stones” found there. When this big, two-meter-long stone is struck with smaller rocks, it makes a hollow, ringing sound, resembling the sound of a tambourine, or “gaval” in Azerbaijani language. This unique resonance is created by microscopic holes inside the rock, which are believed to result from the dry climate and the effect of natural gas in the region.

Mud volcanoes

It’s estimated that 300 of the planet’s estimated 700 mud volcanoes are located in Gobustan, Azerbaijan, and the Caspian Sea. Mud volcanoes of Gobustan are a popular attraction for both scientists and tourists, the latter often bathing in mud, which is thought to have medicinal qualities.