David Baratoux is a planetary scientist affiliated to the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, and is currently working at the University Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Côte d'Ivoire. He was involved in space exploration programs of the solar system, and made significant contributions to the understanding of the geological evolution of Mars. From the end-year 2013, he dedicated himself to the development of planetary and space sciences in Africa. During a 4-years visit at the university Cheikh Anta Diop, he founded with a consortium of 25 colleagues the African Initiative for Planetary Sciences and Africa. He is currently involved in the supervision of Ph.D. students pioneering the field of planetary sciences in Africa.