ASIAN UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN (AUW) SUPPORT FOUNDATION

ASIAN UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN SUPPORT FOUNDATION EXISTS SOLELY TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE ASIAN UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN (AUW) WHICH IS IN CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH. AUW WAS FOUNDED IN 2008 WITH THE GOAL OF CREATING A PATHWAY FOR WOMEN FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO EMERGE AS EFFECTIVE LEADERS THROUGH AN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES. TODAY AUW ALSO OFFERS GRADUATE EDUCATION IN A SELECT SET OF FIELDS. AUW WELCOMES TALENTED AND MOTIVATED YOUNG WOMEN FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO ENROLL AT THE UNIVERSITY. IT PARTICULARLY STRIVES TO ATTRACT AND SUPPORT WOMEN OF UNCOMMON MERIT DRAWN FROM CHALLENGING SOCIETAL OR ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS TO GET AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION AND PREPARE TO SERVE AS ETHICAL LEADERS. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION.OVER 85% OF AUW STUDENTS ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY ON FULL SCHOLARSHIP WITH PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT PROVIDED TO THE INSTITUTION COVERING ALL COSTS OF ROOM, BOARD, TUITION, INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL (WHERE NEEDED), PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, BOOKS AND SUPPLIES AND OTHER ASSOCIATED COSTS. IT RELIES ON GLOBAL PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT TO FUND ITS OPERATIONS AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.THIS YEAR SAW ENROLLMENT RISE TO 1,960 STUDENTS. AT A TIME WHEN EDUCATION IS BEING DENIED TO GIRLS AND WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN, AUW CHOSE TO OFFER MORE EXTENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO AFGHAN WOMEN SEEKING AN EDUCATION. WITH NEARLY 600 AFGHAN WOMEN ENROLLED AT AUW, IT HAS BECOME THE SINGLE LARGEST HOST OF AFGHAN WOMEN AT ANY UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD. SIMILARLY, AUW HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO OFFER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ROHINGYA GIRLS AND WOMEN.IN 2025, AUW INTRODUCED A NEW UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR IN APPLIED MATH AND DATA SCIENCES, AN ADDITIONAL UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IS EXPECTED TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2026-2027.MEANWHILE, THE MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAM, WHICH WAS INAUGURATED AS THE FIRST GRADUATE PROGRAM IN JANUARY 2022, SAW ITS FOURTH CLASS ENTER IN 2025. THE TWO-YEAR PROGRAM IS DELIVERED IN COLLABORATION WITH FACULTY FROM JOHN'S HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND OTHER COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS.THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPAREL AND FASHION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, LAUNCHED AS THE SECOND GRADUATE PROGRAM IN JANUARY 2023, WELCOMED ITS THIRD COHORT IN 2026. THE ONE-YEAR PROGRAM IS TAUGHT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FACULTY FROM VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE FIELD. THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY HSBC BANGLADESH.GRADUATES OF THE MASTER'S IN EDUCATION PROGRAM ARE LEADING AN INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN THE ROHINGYA REFUGEE CAMPS IN COX'S BAZAR. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF, AUW HAS DEPLOYED 16 MASTER'S GRADUATES TO TRAIN OVER 1,100 UPPER PRIMARY TEACHERS AND TRAINERS IN THE CAMPS. THESE EDUCATORS WILL GO ON TO TEACH THOUSANDS OF ROHINGYA CHILDREN, EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO PURSUE THEIR ASPIRATIONS.THE AUW LABORATORY SCHOOL, INAUGURATED AS A PILOT IN 2024, IS GROWING AND IS EXPECTED TO OFFER K-12 CLASSES IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. ALONGSIDE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATION AND STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ARTS, AND MATHEMATICS) SUBJECTS, THE SCHOOL PROVIDES A STRONG CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAM INCLUDING LEADERSHIP, RESEARCH AND WRITING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND STUDENT WELLNESS. AUW ALSO SAW SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL EXPANSION. A THIRD CAMPUS AREA WAS INAUGURATED AT THE KOREAN EXPORT PROCESSING ZONE (KEPZ), WHICH INCLUDES DORMITORIES, A DINING HALL, AND A LIBRARY. CURRENTLY, 250 STUDENTS RESIDE AT KEPZ. CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN ON AUW'S FIRST MAJOR BUILDING ON ITS PERMANENT CAMPUS: THE CAMPUS CENTER, WITH EXPECTED COMPLETION IN 2027. THIS NEW BUILDING, WHOSE STRUCTURE IS ALMOST DONE, WILL OFFER STATE-OF-THE-ART SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LABS AS WELL AS TEACHING AND LEARNING SPACES FOR UP TO 1800 STUDENTS. THE FACILITIES WILL BE EXPANDED OVER TIME IN THREE EARMARKED PHASES. IN THE MEANTIME, AUW HAS RETAINED THE ARCHITECT RENZO PIANO TO REVISE THE EXISTING MASTER PLAN FOR THE AUW CAMPUS IN ORDER TO ULTIMATELY ACCOMMODATE AND SERVE 6,000 RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS.THE AUW MENTAL WELLNESS CENTER NOW REACHES MORE THAN 1,000 STUDENTS EACH SEMESTER FOR INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING SESSIONS, HELPING STUDENTS MANAGE TRAUMA, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND ACADEMIC STRESS. IN PARALLEL, THE TEAM TRAINED 260 PEER WELLNESS AMBASSADORS, ENSURING THAT EVERY 10 STUDENTS HAVE A TRUSTED PEER TO TURN TO. AT THE HEART OF THIS WORK IS THE GOODLIFE CENTER, INAUGURATED IN 2024 AND MODELED AFTER MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING AT YALE UNIVERSITY. THE CENTER IS A WELCOMING HUB WHERE STUDENTS CAN PAUSE, REFLECT, AND RECHARGE; IT SERVES AS A SYMBOL OF SAFETY AND RENEWAL ON CAMPUS.