UFAZ Student Takes First Place at the VISTAR Program’s Demo Day

Ali Gasimov, a Computer Science student at the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ), and his team have taken first place at the Demo Day of VISTAR – the Excellence Program in Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation with their project.

Named “MinaR,” the project is an AI-based system designed to support more efficient manual surveys in demining operations. It helps demining teams identify which areas should be prioritised for search.

“MinaR” analyses satellite imagery by fine-tuning an existing Earth Observation AI model using changes observed in former conflict zones. The system compares pre- and post-war satellite images to identify potentially high-risk areas and enables demining teams to determine priority search zones. In this way, the project applies a risk-based prioritisation approach to area assessment.

According to information provided by the team, “MinaR” has the potential to contribute to the protection of more than 3,000 civilians globally and support more efficient allocation of resources for manual surveys.

Potential users of the project include governments and relevant demining authorities, international non-governmental organisations, and organisations involved in reconstruction efforts. The project is also considered particularly relevant in the context of Azerbaijan.

We congratulate Ali Gasimov and his teammates on this achievement and wish them continued success in their future endeavours.