The Aix-Marseille University was founded in the year 1409 on the petition of Louis II of Anjou in Provence, Southern France. Located at the Rhine-Rhone and the Mediterranean Arc Junction, this university was formed by the amalgamation of University of Provence, the University of the Mediterranean and Paul Cézanne University. This merger became official in 2012 which made AUF the youngest university and also the biggest in terms of student bodies. The university offers 34 bachelors degrees, 97 masters and 81 PhD programs to 70,000 students in 6 disciplines. These disciplines are Arts, Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, Law and Political Science, Economics and Management, Science and Technology, and Health. The Aix-Marseille University has also collaborated with leading research organisations like CNRS, IRD, Inserm etc. to conduct research in fields like Energy, Environment, Health and Life Sciences, Advanced Sciences, and Humanities. Granted the national ‘’Initiative of Excellence’’ status in 2016, AUF is best known for its Archaeology, Natural Sciences and Business programmes. It has also been placed at 156th rank in the Best Global Universities in Europe by the US News and World rankings. The city of Provence is renowned for its music festivals, climate, and Cezanne's paintings.