Father Joseph Makrzal, President of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, was elected president of the Regional Conference of University Presidents who are members of the Francophone University Agency in the Middle East, for a two-year term.
Father Joseph Makrzal was elected during the general election conference, which was held online.
The outgoing president, Father François Boudic, President of Saint Joseph University, was in attendance,
Also present were the presidents and directors of member institutions and the Agency’s Regional Director, Jean-Noël Palio.
Makrzal succeeds Father Boudik as president of the conference, which works to strengthen cooperation among Francophone higher education institutions.
It also seeks to facilitate the exchange of expertise and develop joint academic projects that serve universities and the academic Francophonie in the region.
Father Makrzal has served as president of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik since July 2025.
He also holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Paris–Sorbonne.
Since joining the university in 2001, he has held several academic positions, including director of the university library, the university museum, and the Phoenix Center for Lebanese Studies.
His research focuses on the history of Lebanon and the Middle East, manuscript heritage, Syriac studies, and Islamic–Christian relations.
He is also a foreign associate researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
The Regional Conference of University Presidents in the Middle East comprises 53 university officials representing institutions across 13 countries.
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