Located in Central Europe, Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union, with a migratory, multicultural and multilingual background since the 16th century. Due to its geopolitical location, the country connects the East with the West of Europe in the cultural, political and economic dimensions. Due to numerous military conflicts worldwide in recent years, Poland is continuously confronted with complex problems arising from its residents’ migratory background. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, located at the heartland of the unique Mazovia Province with a population estimated at nearly 2 million residents, is one of the most dynamic metropolises in Europe. Once known as the Paris of the East, Warsaw is a city of astonishing contrasts, with its historical roots deeply embedded in multiculturalism and multilingualism. Split by the Vistula River, Warsaw has two sides with different atmospheres and attractions. Warsaw’s downtown, located on the north side of the Vistula River running through the city, is the centre of business, art, entertainment, shopping areas, fine restaurants, museums, theatres, cinemas, galleries, skyscrapers, bars and hotels. Being a research and development centre, Warsaw’s downtown is a perfect location for international scientific and economic events, conferences, and conventions. The glamorous northside riverbank is bustling with energy and activity. In contrast, the Bohemian Praga districts on the south bank offer numerous attractions off the beaten track, alluring tourists to taste their unique atmosphere, admire their innovative street art, and visit alternative theatres. Warsaw is the largest and the most renowned university city in Poland. The University of Warsaw is an institution with 200 years of tradition, 30 academic and research units, 21 faculties, and 1600 research projects financed by national and international research programmes. The historical Main Campus of the University of Warsaw, founded in 1816, is located north of the Vistula River in close proximity to the city centre, around 40-50 minutes from the major international airport and 10-15 minutes from the international railway station. A regular bus line runs daily between the airport and the venue. It is well connected to the downtown (bus, subway) with an average commute time of ten to fifteen minutes. Most hotels considered for this conference are situated either in the vicinity of the venue or downtown. The enchanting Krakowskie Przedmieście Royal Avenue, surrounded by prestigious manor houses, palaces and notable institutions, runs north of the campus and links it with the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Presidential Palace and the Warsaw Old Town. Being a noble mixture of historical charm and modernity, Royal Avenue is an attractive nightlife scene for tourists, residents and students.

Founded in 1816, the University of Warsaw (UW) is the largest (over 45,000 students) and, according to the latest Shanghai Ranking, the best higher education establishment in Poland is positioned among the top 3% of the world’s best universities — it boasts a well-established tradition of active international research: it implemented over 220 European research projects, including 14 prestigious ERC grants, won 98 projects in FP7, including 6 ERC Starting Grants and 1 ERC Advanced Grant (in addition to two other ERC AdG where the UW is an institutional Co-Beneficiary), one REGPOT Project for over 4.5 million euro and three CIP Projects. In Program Horizon 2020, the University of Warsaw has so far won over 50 grants, including 7 ERC Grants, several research and innovation ones, ITNs, RISE and IFs under MSCA, one Twinning funding and several research infrastructures grant, ten  EIT Food grants, one COSME grant and six grants under SESAR JU.

The historical Main Campus of the University of Warsaw, the Old Library Building, erected in 1894.

Most flights to Warsaw land at the international Warsaw Chopin Airport. Warsaw is served by numerous airlines, e.g. Air Canada, Emirates, Lufthansa,  Qatar Airlines, British Airways, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Alitalia, LOT Polish  Airlines, SWISS, Turkish Airlines.
There are direct or one-stop flights to Warsaw from major  cities in the world and in Europe:
- From the United States: Non-stop services from Chicago, New York, Los  Angeles, Miami and Newark are available. One-stop service from numerous major cities is  also possible. - From Canada: Non-stop services from Toronto and one-stop service from major Canadian cities available.
- From Asia and Australia: Non-stop services from Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul. One-stop services from Sydney, Melbourne and some other major cities possible.
- From Latin America: There are one-stop services from Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Caracas, Buenos Aires, etc.
- From Europe: There are non-stop services from most major European cities.
Warsaw Chopin Airport is located around 10 kilometers (40 minutes) away from the city  center. A new bus terminal linking the airport with destinations throughout Warsaw is located  on the arrivals level. The airport is served by five bus lines (175 and night bus N32 reach the  city center directly). For guests who decide to take a taxi it is strongly recommended for safety reasons to use licensed taxi services available at the exits from baggage pickup. A railway connection between the airport and the center of the city is also available; a regular zone 1 ticket is valid on the trains and the  journey takes under half an hour. The opportunities for participants from all over the world to attend the conference would not be limited by any burdensome visa requirements or other political considerations. Conference attendees from an EU/EFTA member country or other country listed by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs do not need to obtain a Schengen visa. Citizens of countries where a Schengen visa is required should contact the Polish Consulate or Embassy in their country of residence. A list of visa requirements, application forms as well as a list of Polish diplomatic representations abroad are available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.