August 1, 2012 - present
Rector of Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (USJ), Lebanon

Place and Date of Birth : Bouar (Kesserwan), Lebanon, 5/9/1950

Nationality : Lebanese

Primary education

Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family (Collège des Soeurs Maronites de la Sainte-Famille) (Okaibe – Kesserwan)

Secondary education

1960-1970: St. Maron Seminary of the Jesuit Order, Ghazir

University education

1972: Certificate in Political Science
1973: Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from USJ
1983: Master of Arts in Theology and Philosophy from the Sèvres Institute, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
1983: Diploma in Islamic Sufism and Syriac Spirituality - Institute for Higher Practical Studies (l’Institut des Hautes Etudes pratiques), Sorbonne University.
1988: PhD in Literature and Philosophy, Panthéon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1)
Thesis: “Rationality and the issue of creation in the Muslim Kalam in the 10th century in Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s work” (Rationalité et  problème de la création dans le Kalam musulman au 10ème siècle chez Abu Mansur al-Maturidi), 400 pages (in French), Dar el-Machriq, Beirut, 2008.
2010: PhD in Educational Sciences, University of Strasbourg – France
Thesis: “School pluralism in Lebanon: a comparative study between two systems: the Muslim and Christian educational systems in terms of purpose, general goals, and values” (Le pluralisme scolaire au  Liban : étude comparative de deux sous-systèmes l’un musulman, l’autre chrétien du point de vue des finalités, des objectifs généraux et des valeurs)- 580 pages (in French), Institute for Higher Practical Studies – affiliated to the Sorbonne University.

Joining the Society of Jesus

1975: Novitiate in Minya, Egypt
1977-1983: Continued education in France
1984-1989: Appointed Chaplain of the Faculty of Medicine, USJ
9 April 1983: Ordained priest
21 April 1991: Final vows in the Society of Jesus

Jobs occupied

2010-2012: Acting Director of the Institute of Oriental Letters, USJ
2008-2012: Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies, USJ
1991-2008: Rector of the Jesuit Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour
1989-1991: Prefect of the senior classes of Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour
1986-1991: Professor at the Translation School of USJ
Since 1985: Professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies, Higher Institute of Religious Studies, and the Institute of Oriental Letters (Islamic Thought)
1970-1974: Associate Director at the daily newspaper Lissan el-Hal

In addition to being the Rector, Fr. Daccache currently holds the following positions:
Since 1990: Editor-in-Chief of the Society of Jesus’ Arab cultural magazine Mashreq (founded in 1898)
Since 1984: Associate Director of the Society of Jesus’ Dar el-Machriq Publishing House
Professor of Islamic Philosophy and the Syriac Language, USJ
Vice-Chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Bible Society for Lebanon and Syria
Member of the Management Council of Jesuit Schools in the Bekaa Valley (5 schools)
Director of Notre Dame de la Consolata High School, Taanayel, Lebanon
Director of the Lebanese Association of Friendship and Islamic-Christian Dialogue

Publications

2015: Brief Statements on the Body (aqwal wajiza fil-jasad), Cardinal Carlo-Maria Martini, S.J. (translated into Arabic from Italian), All Rights Reserved, 1st edition 2015, Dar el-Machriq LLC, Achrafieh, Beirut 2015, 135 pages.
2014: S. Daccache et al., Coexistence and conflicts in Bilâd al-Châm during the Ottoman era. Muslims and Christians through chroniclers and travelers’ writings (Cohabitation et conflits dans le Bilâd al-Châm à l'époque ottomane. Musulmans et chrétiens à travers les écrits des chroniqueurs et des voyageurs), Université Saint-Joseph, Université de Balamand, Institut français du Proche-Orient, Orient Institut Beirut, 467 p.
2013: School pluralism in Lebanon: a comparative study between two systems: the Muslim and Christian educational systems in terms of purpose, general goals, and values (Pluralisme, vivre-ensemble et citoyenneté au Liban : le salut vient-il de l’école ? Comparative study of the common purpose, goals, and values of interfaith groups in Lebanese Christian, Muslim, and secular schools, written in French, USJ - l’Harmattan Publications, 578 pages.
2009: The issue of the creation of the world and its historical context in Abu Mansur al-Maturidi’s Muslim Kalam (10th century), Recherches de l’Université Saint-Joseph Collection
2007: Maximes spirituelles, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (translated into Arabic from French), 111 pages.
2006: Faubourg du Saint-Esprit, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., translated into Arabic from French, Beirut, Dar el-Machriq, 196 pages.
2005: Fruits of the Spirit, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, translated into Arabic from Italian, 80 pages.
2002: Spiritual Homilies, John of Dalyatha, translated from Syriac to Arabic, 200 pages.
1997: The Road to Easter, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., translated from Italian to Arabic, Beirut, 200 pages.
1996: Abu Ra'ita al Takriti and his Mission in the Holy Trinity, study and text, Beirut, Dar el-Machriq Publications, 136 pages.
1991: The Issue of Creation according to texts from the ancient Near East, translated from French to Arabic, 90 pages.
1991: Spiritual Journal of F. Nadal, translated into Arabic from French
1989: Spiritual letters of John of Dalyatha, translated from Syriac to Arabic, 222 pages.
Al-Munjid fil-Logha wal-E’lam (Qism al-Islamiyyat), Dar el-Machriq, Beirut.

Articles

More than a hundred articles, conference proceedings, and studies in the Arabic, French, English and Italian languages in the field of education, Syriac spirituality, moral and political philosophy, Islamic Jurisprudence, cross-cultural meetings, interfaith dialogue, Muslim-Christian relations, etc.