Professor Gayane FAYE is a renowned Senegalese scientist and is considered the Pioneer of the Senegalese Space Program. Originally from the village of Tchiky in the Fatick region, he is a leading expert in the field of satellite remote sensing and holds a central role as the Coordinator of the Senegalese Space Project (SENSAT). Since taking office, Professor Faye has dedicated his skills to the nation's technological ambitions. As the head of the SENSAT scientific team, he is the driving force behind Senegal's space strategy—a program under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. Driven by his leadership and expertise, Professor Gayane Faye spearheaded the SENSAT project, which achieved the major milestone of designing, manufacturing, and orbiting Senegal's first satellite, Gaindesat-1A. His areas of expertise primarily cover satellite remote sensing, but also include photogrammetry and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Furthermore, he leads and participates in numerous applied research projects using Earth observation data for vital applications such as agriculture, pandemic management (including COVID-19), and the monitoring of erosion and mangroves. His commitment extends to the continental level, as he also serves as the President of the African Union’s GMES & Africa Academic Network. A graduate of Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar, Professor Faye holds a PhD in Satellite Remote Sensing obtained in 2013 through a joint program with the University of Paris-Est Marne-la Vallée, following a Master’s degree in Science and Technology from the University of Versailles Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines in France. Academically, he is an Associate Professor at the National School of Mines and Geology (ENSMG) at UCAD, where he heads the Applied Remote Sensing Laboratory. He has held the rank of Associate Professor (Maître de Conférences Titulaire) since December 2022. He also served as a teacher researcher at the École Polytechnique de Thiès (EPT) from October 2015 to May 2016. His work has garnered significant national and international acclaim, including the National Honor: He is an Officer of the National Order of the Lion, a distinction highlighting his major contributions to the development of Senegal. He is also the winner of the Cauris d'Or Science and the Calebasse Science 2024. The French daily Le Monde ranked him among the 11 African personalities of the year 2024. He was featured on the cover of Forbes Afrique as one of the African personalities who marked the year 2025. Professor Gayane Faye is a pivotal figure in research and technological innovation, having placed the country on the map of African space-faring nations and paving the way for Senegalese technological sovereignty.
