Toulouse is situated in south-west France, 680 km from Paris. Toulouse is the Capital of the “Midi-Pyrénées” Region, the largest French province. With a population of 650 000, Toulouse is pink and green: old pink bricks and green gardens with lots of pretty foutains and even barges going through the “Canal du Midi”. Already bustling 2000 years ago, the city boasts a rare architectural and artistic heritage including in particular the Basilica Saint-Sernin (11th century), Saint-Etienne’s Cathedral (12th century), the Church and Cloister of the Jacobins (13th century) and the Capitol (18th century).

Toulouse is the European Capital of wealth of educational institutions that include universities and several research laboratories covering all spheres of knowledge, Toulouse has the second largest university in France and ranks among the top university cities in Europe. The climate in Toulouse is usually temperate around the time of the Conference.