Additional seminars are held in University of Strasbourg. Check the opportunity to join online!

Who are we, and what do we do?

Welcome to the Earth Science Research Department of the French-Azerbaijani University! The team brings together scientists from Azerbaijan (UFAZ) and France (Universities of Strasbourg & Rennes I) to conduct, promote, and facilitate research in Earth Sciences in Azerbaijan. These objectives are built on 2 major domains in the study of the Earth, its surface and environment: Geology and Geophysics.

Organization

The department can rely on expertise and staff located here in Baku as well as from the two French Universities and research units ITES (https://ites.unistra.fr/) and Geosciences Rennes (https://geosciences.univ-rennes1.fr/).

Head of Department: Damien Lemarchand

Damien Lemarchand works as a senior teacher-researcher at the University of Strasbourg within the Institut Terre et Environnement de Strasbourg (EOST-ITES). He obtained his PhD in 2001 in isotope geochemistry at the University of Paris VII and at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP). He continued his research on the isotopic fractionation of calcium during calcite precipitation (Caltech, USA) before being hired as a teacher-researcher in 2003 at the University of Strasbourg. His research focuses on isotopic fingerprinting of water/rock interactions with a particular emphasis on biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems, reconstruction of the present and past weathering regime in continental areas as well as description of water/rock interactions in geothermal systems.
Since 2018, he has been involved in teaching at UFAZ and has been working since 2020 as the coordinator of the two-year master’s program in geosciences at UFAZ in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Local Head Coordinator: Clara Jodry

Clara works an associate professor at the University of Strasbourg, positioned at the French-Azerbaijani University in Baku. She obtained her Ph.D in Applied Geophysics from the University of Nantes and continued in a post-doc at the University of Strasbourg and the company IRIS Instrument in Orléans. She was then hired as a research engineer at the CNRS and University of Orléans before her recruitment as associate professor. Her main research topic aims to contribute to sustainable management of water resources by the application of subsurface geophysics (electric and electromagnetic) to hydro-systems.

Petroleum Engineering Coordinator: Fidan Aslanzada

Fidan is an ‘Oil &Gas Engineering’ program coordinator at UFAZ. She is a Master in Petroleum Engineering from Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University and holds an MBA degree from Anglia Ruskin University (UK). She has more than 10 years of experience in Reservoir Engineering, Petrophysics and Sedimentology and over three years of teaching experience in related sciences. Today, she pursue a PhD at the University of Strasbourg on the Productive Series in the western South Caspian Basin. Her research interests are 3D reservoir model, sedimentology, petrophysics, oil and gas reservoirs’ production optimization.

Geoscience Assistant: Dashgin Abakarov

Dashgin is a Geoscience Assistant at French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ). He studies a Master’s in Geosciences and holds a bachelor’s in Geological Engineering from State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU). He participated in the 2022 Azerbaijan Summer School: Mud Volcanism and Petroleum Systems. He has hands-on experience as a Field Supervisor at Star Mining LLC. He does a research project ‘Petrophysical assessment of fire resistance of limestone of Baku buildings’ under the supervision of associated professor Clara Jodry and professor Michael Heap, Strasbourg University.

Earth Sciences Research Department