The Kuwait Cultural Office – Canada was established in 2015 with the mission to support Kuwaiti students and scholars studying across universities in Canada. In addition, the office seeks to establish and strengthen collaborations with institutions in the region. Students and scholars are advised in their studies and the office ensures they are attending superior educational programs to prepare them for the market needs of the country.

Institutions and programs that students attend must be approved by the Kuwait National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance (NBAQ). There are specific selection criteria and guidelines for ESL and academic programs. All institutions and majors must have regional accreditation, professional accreditation for specific academic disciplines, and be rigorous in academic quality and admission standards.

The majority of students that the office oversees are sponsored through the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education, but there are a smaller number of students through special Kuwait sponsors; graduate students and scholars; and privately funded students. Within the Cultural Office there are the Placement, Advising & Counseling, Graduate, Program Evaluation and University Outreach Departments. Each respective department has distinct aims for the advancement of the office and the students it represents. The dedicated individuals working for the Kuwait Cultural Office make it their goal to facilitate the academic success of Kuwaiti students and to promote the educational objective of the Ministry of Higher Education and the State of Kuwait

Dr. S. Yousef Alrefaei is currently the Cultural Counselor/Director at the Cultural Office in Canada.

In 1998, he joined the College of Health Sciences at the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training, or PAAET. He was appointed as head of various committees at the College of Health Sciences at PAAET as well as served as head of department of Medical Laboratories. In 2002, he earned a Master Degree in Public Health and Tropical Medicine (MPH & TM) from Tulane University and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Tropical Medicine from the George Washington University in 2012.

Before assuming his current role, he had been a staff member in the Medical Laboratory Department at PAAET since 2012.