Professor François Boëdec. (Credit: Saint Joseph University website)
The new president of Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut, Professor François Boëdec (Jesuit), officially assumed office on Jan. 5, 2026, according to the French-speaking Jesuit institution's official website.
He succeeds Father Salim Daccache, USJ president since 2012, who announced in early September that he would "step down from leadership."
A member of the Jesuit order, Boëdec has a law degree and a doctorate in political science from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne.
He is described as "a keen observer of the issues in modern democratic debate and the evolution of international relations and the Middle East."
He is notably the author of "Studies on the Political Challenges of Controlling Water Resources in the Middle East."
Boëdec maintains a long-standing, deep, and constant connection with Lebanon and USJ.
"Present in Lebanon since the 1990s, he has worked in teaching, research, and pastoral guidance there. As a long-time visiting lecturer at USJ and president of the administrative office association of USJ in Paris [since 1998], he is intimately familiar with the history, mission, and challenges of the university," the institution stated.
The new president has held "high-level responsibilities within Jesuit higher education and the Society of Jesus."
"He served as president of the Loyola Faculties in Paris, provincial superior of the French-speaking Western European Province, member of the USJ High Council, and, since 2024, has held the position of USJ vice-president and president's delegate for human resources," the website stated.
"Having reached the age of 75 last week, as you know, I decided, after reflection, to step down from the leadership of Saint Joseph University of Beirut, pending the selection of a new president," Daccache wrote in September 2025 in a message to USJ deans, directors, and administrators.
He told L’Orient-Le Jour that after careful consideration, he had "preferred to return to research projects that had been put on hold since 2012."
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
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