As an immigrant who paved his own way from Kuwait to Canada in order to study at Dalhousie, Khaled Albusairi (BSc’12) knows firsthand the challenges faced by Kuwaiti students arriving in Canada.

The third-year Dalhousie Dentistry student moved to Canada in 2009, where he learned English, completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and was accepted into dental school.

In 2013, Albusairi helped found the National Union of Kuwaiti Students in Canada (NUKS), which now serves 350 members across Canada. NUKS aims to be a resource for Kuwaiti students in their transition to Canada, helping them adapt to a new country and culture.

“We direct students to sources of information, organise activities, celebrate National Kuwaiti Day, hold an annual conference with speakers, and generally try to provide a Kuwaiti environment outside Kuwait,” says Albusairi.

This May, he was elected the national chair of NUKS. Albusairi says that NUKS helps new Kuwaiti students feel supported and ultimately succeed in their studies in Canada.

The organization is currently looking to recruit additional leaders to allow it to continue expanding its reach.

Read more in “Smoothing the path to Canada for Kuwaiti students” on dal.ca.

Photo: Cheryl Bell