Chittagong, Bangladesh (October 1, 2025) – Asian University for Women (AUW) is thrilled to welcome 1,968 students back to campus, marking the beginning of the new academic year. Our student population reflects the rich diversity across Asia, with representation from 15 different countries. In line with our commitment to recruit talented young women from under-resourced backgrounds, some of our largest student groups include Afghan women (548), women from the Rohingya community (369), and Ready-Made Garment sector workers (203). In addition to our university students, AUW has enrolled 32 students in the Lab School.

We are excited to share that our roster of AUW graduates going on to pursue PhDs has increased to 72 as a result of the following students enrolling in PhD programs.

• Tazneen Hossain Tani (AUW Class of 2025), Tsinghua University, Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Mst Shaila Afrin (AUW Class of 2023), Carnegie Mellon University-University of Pittsburgh joint program, Computational Biology.
• Nusrat Jahan Yamim (AUW Class of 2023), Case Western Reserve University, Biology.
• Rumila Quaisara (AUW Class of 2022), University of Kentucky, Economics.
• Kalhari Gunarathna (AUW Class of 2014), Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment.

A brief report on selected student successes is linked here.

AUW is pleased to announce that a new undergraduate major in Humanities, developed with funding from the Mellon Foundation, has been officially introduced. Led by the Dean of Humanities, the program offers courses spanning literature, history, philosophy, and religious studies.

Finally, we are delighted to share several new appointments:

• Registrar, Brigadier General Md Salahuddin Ahmed, ndc, afwc, psc, MPhil (retd).
• Director of Admissions, Ms. Moury Rahman.
• Director for International Admissions, Ms. Alyssa Marie Russo.
• Director of the Center of Leadership and Professional Development (CLPD), Mr. Ryan James Mintz.
• 17 Teaching Fellows. The Teaching Fellowship program brings recent graduates from universities in the U.S. and U.K. to spend one year at AUW, where they teach in the Pre-Undergraduate program.

AUW student painting in an art seminar. AUW students studying in the library. AUW students participating in a science lab. AUW students in a computer lab.

AUW Teaching Fellowship cohorts of 2024–25 and 2025–26, pictured together.