Brick by Brick

Help build the future of AUW 

Every great institution begins with a vision. At Asian University for Women, that vision is taking shape, brick by brick, on the hills of Chittagong, Bangladesh.

With the Campus Center now taking shape and completion approaching, we are turning to the wider AUW community to help bring this next chapter to life. Through our Brick by Brick campaign, we invite alumnae, students, friends and supporters around the world to contribute to the construction of AUW’s permanent home.

The first building, the Campus Center, is expected to be completed in December 2027. Originally designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the building will house classrooms, laboratories, research facilities and spaces where young women from across Asia and beyond will come together to learn, question and discover.

Nearly 1.8 million handmade bricks will form the Campus Center’s distinctive archways and architectural features. Produced locally in Bangladesh, predominantly by women workers, these bricks carry a special significance: the hands helping to build AUW’s future belong to women whose work is shaping the opportunities of other women.

For just US$10, you can make a contribution through the symbolic purchase of a brick towards the construction of AUW’s new home. Whether you give one brick or many, your contribution will help create a place of learning and discovery for generations of women to come.

Every contributor will have the opportunity to be recognized on our virtual Wall of Builders, a lasting tribute to the community of people who helped turn AUW’s vision into reality.

Be part of the story. Help build AUW, brick by brick.

Help Spread the Word

Help us reach more supporters! Download our Brick by Brick Social Media & Sharing Toolkit for ready-to-use graphics, videos and suggested captions to share with your friends, family and networks.

Social Media & Sharing Toolkit

Campus Center Details and Significance

The Campus Center is the first major academic building to be completed in the permanent campus construction process. The Campus Center has been designed to bring academic life into close contact with the surrounding landscape. Its sweeping brick archways, open-air courtyards, and broad balconies create a sense of openness throughout the building, with views across the green hills beyond.

The balconies and covered walkways will allow students to move between academic spaces while remaining connected to the outdoors. The courtyards will offer places to gather between classes, read, or spend time with friends, while the open areas immediately outside the building will extend university life into the surrounding grounds.

Alongside these communal spaces, the Center will house 22 classrooms, 14 laboratories, and a two-level library, providing the academic facilities needed for AUW’s expanding science and engineering programs.

Construction Progress and Plan

Construction for the permanent campus began in summer 2022, commencing with extensive excavation and foundation works on the hilly terrain, followed by retaining walls and foundations. In early 2024, construction on the building’s lower levels began.

In 2025 and 2026, the Campus Center’s four stories and handmade brick architecture have become visible. As of September 2026, AUW initiated the final stage of construction for the building with preparations for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and interior finishing works. The building is anticipated to be completed in December 2027.

The Campus Center is the first major building in AUW’s plans for a permanent residential campus that will eventually accommodate 6,000 students. Future phases will include additional academic buildings, student and faculty housing, sports facilities, and spaces for cultural activities.

These subsequent phases are being designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with engineering firm Arup. Piano’s vision places the university within a forested landscape, with buildings arranged among the natural hills and connected by open spaces, walkways, and courtyards.

The landscape will be an important part of everyday campus life. Tree planting is already underway, with approximately 50,000 trees planted each year, and vegetable gardens have been established on the site. As the campus develops, its outdoor spaces are intended to provide places for students to walk, meet, and enjoy the surrounding greenery.

Environmental sustainability is central to the long-term plans, with ambitions for net-zero emissions, renewable energy, responsible water management, and sustainable waste systems. The result will be a campus where academic and residential life extends naturally into the surrounding landscape.