Professor Ballo Zié, born on January 1, 1967, is a distinguished Ivorian economist specializing in development economics. He holds two postgraduate DEA degrees: one in Industrial Economics from the University of Cocody-Abidjan, and the other in Mathematical Economics and Econometrics from the University of Toulouse I in France. His teaching areas include microeconomics, industrial economics, and game theory, while his research focuses on the economics of conflict, decentralization, transportation, and development. 

In administrative roles, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (UFR) at UFHB from 2016 to 2021. Since January 20, 2021, he has been the President of Félix Houphouët-Boigny University of Cocody, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in Côte d’Ivoire. He also serves on several national bodies, including the Competition Commission and the National Credit Council, where he contributes his expertise to the country’s economic development. 

Félix Houphouët-Boigny University of Cocody is an academic partner of Turkish Maarif Foundation in Côte d’Ivoire. As part of this collaboration, the Foundation has established a Turkish language classroom within the university’s Faculty of Languages. Professor Ballo played a key role in drafting the cooperation protocol between the university and the Foundation.