Inza Koné is Full Professor of Conservation Biology at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Since July 2018, he has been Director General of the Swiss Center for Scientific Research in Côte d’Ivoire, a leading research institution in West Africa.
Inza’s work focuses on natural resource management and the conservation of large mammal species, particularly primates. This work links ecology, economy and culture for the empowerment of rural communities. Inza Koné is a Commander in the Order of Merit of the National Education in Côte d'Ivoire and the recipient of several international and national awards including the Future for Nature Award 2009 (Netherlands), the Whitley Award 2012 for Nature Conservation (UK), the National Research Award 2015 (Côte d'Ivoire) and the 2022 Special Presidential Award of the International Primatological Society (USA).
He is President of the African Primatological Society since 2017, Vice President of the Africa Section of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Primate Specialist Group and member of several committees of the International Primatological Society and IUCN. He is the author of over 100 scientific publications in he fields of primatology, conservation, environmental education, and sustainable development.