Our Graduates

Against All Odds: Alumnae Impact

Alumnae List 2013 - 2022

Please click here for a list of all AUW graduates in 2013-2025.

Graduate School Placements
Country Postgrad Institutions Attended Number of Alumnae
Afghanistan Ameriacan University of Afghanistan 4
Australia Federation University Australia 1
La Trobe University 1
Australian College of Applied Professions 1
Charles Darwin University 2
Charles Sturt University 1
Curtin University 7
Deakin University 4
Edith Cowan University 2
Griffith University 1
Holmes Institute 1
Macquarie University 5
Monash University 2
Murdoch University 1
Queensland University of Technology 1
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) 3
The University of New South Wales 2
University of Adelaide 2
University of Canberra 3
University of Melbourne 1
University of Queensland 1
University of Sydney 1
University of Tasmania 1
Western Sydney University 1
Austria Central European University (Austria, Hungary) 27
Vienna University of Economics and Business 1
Bangladesh American International University-Bangladesh 2
Asian University of Bangladesh 2
Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management 3
Bangladesh Univerity of Health Science 1
Bangladesh University of Professionals 7
BRAC Univeristy 76
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) 3
Chattogram Independent University 1
Chittagong BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology 1
Dhaka University 38
East Delta University 5
East West University 2
Govt. City College Chattogram 1
Independent University Bangladesh 2
Institute of Apparel Management 1
International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) 1
Jagannath University 1
Jahangirnagar University 3
Jessore University of Science and Technology 1
Khulna University 2
North South University 25
Southeast University 2
Stamford University Bangladesh 1
State University of Bangladesh 1
United International University 1
University of Chittagong 7
University of Rajshahi 1
Belgium Ghent University 1
Hasselt University 1
HEC Liege 1
KU Leuven 1
University of Antwerp, Belgium 1
Vrije Universiteit Brussel 1
Bhutan Samtse College of Education 1
Royal Institute of Management 1
Cambodia Royal University of Law and Economics 1
Pannasastra University of Cambodia 1
Canada Algoma University 1
Brock University 1
Carleton University 2
Fanshawe College, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) 1
Lakehead University 2
McGill University 7
Queens University 1
Red River College Polytechnic 1
Toronto Metropolitian University 1
Trent University 2
University of Alberta 6
University of British Columbia 5
University of Calgary 4
University of Canada West 3
University of Guelph 2
University of Manitoba 1
University of Victoria 2
University of Waterloo 1
University of Windsor 3
York University 2
China Beijing Normal University 1
Kunming Medical College 1
Shanghai International Studies University 1
Tsinghua University, China 1
Hong Kong , SAR City University of Hong Kong 1
The Chinese University of Hong Kong 1
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – HKUST 3
Denmark Aalborg University 1
Aarhus University 2
DTU – Technical University of Denmark 1
University of Copenhagen 1
Finland Laurea University of Applied Sciences 2
Lab University of Applied Sciences 1
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) 1
Tampere University 4
University of Helsinki, Finland 1
University of Oulu 1
France École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP) 3
Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) 1
Institut national des Sciences appliquées de Toulouse (National Institute of Applied Sciences of Toulouse) 1
ISA Lille 1
Montpellier Business School 1
Sciences PO 6
Sorbonne Paris 1 University 1
Sorbonne University 1
Université Catholique de Lille 1
université de Franche-Comté 1
Université de Strasbourg 1
Université Paris Nanterre 1
University Paris Cite 2
University Paris-Saclay 1
Germany Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg 1
Christian-Albrecht University 1
Deggendorf Institute of Technology 1
Goethe University 1
Heidelberg University 2
Hochschule fur Technik and Wirtschaft Berlin 1
Hochschule Kaiserslautern 1
IU International University of Applied Sciences 1
Kiel University 1
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München 1
Otto-von-Guericke-Universitat Magdeburg 1
Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences 1
Ruhr University Bochum 3
Saarland University 1
Steinbeis School of International Business and Entrepreneurship (SIBE) 1
Technical University of Munich 1
Technische Universität Darmstadt 1
Universität Passau 3
Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden 1
Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein 1
University of Bonn 2
University Of Duisburg 3
University of Erfurt-Willy Brandt School 2
University of koblez and landau 1
Hungary Eotvos Lorand University 1
University of Debrecen 1
Central European University (Austria, Hungary) 27
India Ashoka University 1
Bosco Institute Jorhat 1
Christ University, Bangalore 2
Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management- Kerala 1
Indian Society of International Law 1
Indira Gandhi National Open University 3
Institute of Developement Studies 1
Institute of Health Management Research, Bangalore 1
Kaziranga University 1
Loyola College 1
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University 1
Nalanda Univrsity 1
Savitribai Phule Pune University, India 1
South Asian University (SAARC), New Delhi 9
St. Xavier’s College 1
Tata Institute of Social Sciences 1
Tezpur University 1
Indonesia Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia – UIII 1
Iran Tehran University of Medical Sciences 1
Italy Università degli Studi di Torino 1
University De Trento 9
University of Padova 1
Japan International Christian University 2
International School of Business 1
International University in Japan 1
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University 2
Ritsumeikan University 1
Kazakhstan Nazarbayev University 1
Malaysia Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) 4
Universiti Sains Malaysia 1
University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia 1
University of Malaya 1
Nepal Islington Collage Kathmandu 1
Kathmandu University 2
KFA Business School and IT 1
Kings College Nepal 1
Padham Multiple Campus 1
Tribhuvan University 4
Netherlands International Institute of Social Science 1
University of Amsterdam 1
University of Groningen 1
Wageningen University & Research 3
New Zealand ICL Graduate Business School 1
The University of Auckland 1
University of Otago 1
Victoria University of Wellington 1
Pakistan Aga Khan University 2
Lahore University of Management Sciences 2
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) 1
Quaid-I-Azam University 1
Philippines Asian Institute of Management 1
Saint Louis University 1
Portugal University of Lisbon 1
Qatar Doha Institute for Graduate Studies 1
Hamad Bin Khalifa University 1
Singapore Nanyang Technological University Singapore 1
South Korea Ewha Womans University 6
KDI School of Public Policy and Management 1
Sookmyung Women’s University 1
Sungkonghoe University 1
Spain KALU Institute 1
University of Oviedo 1
Universidad de Huelva 1
Sri Lanka University of Colombo 9
University of Jaffna 1
University of Kelaniya 1
University of Moratuwa 1
University of Peradeniya 8
Sweden Karolinska Institutet 2
Lund University 2
Södertörns University 1
Umeå University 1
University of Gothenburg 1
Uppsala University 3
Switzerland Geneva Graduate Institute 1
University of Bern 1
Taiwan National Cheng Kung University 1
Thailand Asian Institute of Technology 3
Mahidol University 2
Thammasat University 2
Turkiye Ankara University 1
UK Birmingham City University 1
Brunel University London 1
Coventry University 1
Durham University 1
Institute For The Study Of Muslim Civilisation , The Aga Khan University 1
Liverpool John Moores University 1
London School of Hygience and Tropical Medicine 2
Queen Mary University of London 1
Queen’s University Belfast 1
SOAS University of London 5
Teesside University 1
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) 3
The University of Huddersfield 1
UAL: University of the Arts London 1
UCL (University College London) 1
University of Birmingham 2
University of Bristol 1
University of Cambridge 7
University of East Anglia 3
University of Greenwich 1
University of Hertfordshire 1
University of Leeds 3
University of London 1
University of Manchester 3
University of Nottingham 7
University of Oxford 22
University of Salford 1
University of Sheffield 2
University of South Wales 1
University of Surrey 2
Brighton and Sussex Medical School 2
University of Sussex 23
University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) 1
University of Wolverhampton 1
University of York 1
University of Glasgow, Scotland 3
Ulster University, Northern Ireland 1
Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland 1
USA Arizona State University 12
Arkansas State University 1
Atlantic International University 1
Boston College 1
Brandeis University 5
Brown University 3
Carnegie Mellon-University of Pittsburgh, USA 4
Case Western Reserve University, USA 1
Colorado State University 2
Columbia University 1
Concordia University 1
Duke University 3
Emory University 1
Florida Institute of Technology 1
George Mason University 1
Georgetown University 2
Georgia Institute of Technology 1
Harvard Medical School, USA 1
Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health 1
Illinois State University 13
Indiana University Indianapolis 3
Johns Hopkins University 5
Kent State University 3
Loyola University Maryland 1
Marquette University 1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1
Medical College of Wisconsin 1
Miami University 2
Middlebury College 1
Milwaukee Area Technical College 1
Missouri State University 1
Morehouse School of Medicine 1
Northeastern University 2
Oakland University 1
Ohio University 1
Oregon Health & Science University 1
Portland State University 1
Purdue University 1
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1
Rhode Island School of Design 1
Rutgers University 1
School For International Training 1
Southern Illinois University 2
St. Cloud State University 1
Stanford University 1
Stanton University 1
Stony Brook University 1
Syracuse University 1
Tennesses State University 1
Texas A&M University 1
The College of St. Scholastica 1
The University of Louisiana, Lafayette 1
Tufts University 2
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health 1
University at Buffalo 2
University of Arkansas 1
University of California, Davis 1
University of Colorado, Denver 1
University of Connecicut 1
University of Cumberlands 1
University of Delaware 3
University of Denver 8
University of Florida 1
University of Idaho 1
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 1
University of Kansas Medical Center 1
University of Kentucky 3
University of Maryland 2
University of Massachusetts Lowell 1
University of Minnesota 1
University of Nevada 1
University of New Haven 1
University of North Carolina 1
University of Northern Iowa 2
University of Pittsburgh 1
University of South Carolina 1
University of South Dakota 1
University of South Florida 1
University of Tennessee 1
University of Texas 7
University of Utah 1
University of Washington 1
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1
Utah State University 1
Vanderbilt University 2
Wayne State University 1
Western Illinois University 1
Wright State University 2

 

Prestigious Scholarships awarded to AUW Alumnae
Scholarship Name Number of Alumnae Awarded
Chevening Scholarship 16
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 5
DAAD Scholarship 3
Dalai Lama Fellowship 1
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 15
Fulbright Scholarship 3
Open Society University Network Scholarship 2
SMARTS-UP International Scholarship by Université Paris Cité 1
The Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship 2
McCall MacBain Scholarship 1
VLIR-UOS Scholarship 1
Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals 2
Swedish Institute Study Scholarship 1
Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Scholarship 1
The Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann scholarship 2
Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) 1
Notable Awards and Achievements of AUW Alumnae
Notable Awards and Achievements of AUW Alumnae
NASA FINNEST Award by NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology
Transparency International Bangladesh Award for Investigative Reporting
Girls Impact the World Film Award by ConncetHer
New Voices in World Health Award, World Health Summit 2015
Emerging Young Leader Award by US Department of State
The Alexander Pike Prize 2023 by University of Cambridge
Professional Placement

Roughly 15% of AUW alumnae enroll in graduate schools, including Oxford University (UK), Columbia University (United States), Ewha Women’s University (South Korea), New York University (United States).

Another 20% of AUW graduates bring their unique perspectives to the corporate world, at companies such as CitiBank, Unilever, L’Oréal, and Standard Chartered.

About 26% of AUW alumnae choose to give back to their communities through careers in the non-profit sector. Graduates have pursued jobs at the World Bank, UNESCO, Save the Children, and others.

Finally, about 10% of AUW graduates have obtained jobs in government.

Current and Past Employers Include:

360ed

Abbott

ABC Consulting

ACBT Kandy Campus

ACI Group

ACI Limited

Across Health

AECOM Engineering

Afghanistan Center at Kabul University

Afghanistan Forensic Science Organization

Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization

Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit

Aga Khan Agency for Habitat

Aga Khan Development Network and Rural Support Programmes Network Pakistan

Aga Khan University Examination Board

Aga Khan University Professional Development Centre

Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development

Agility

AIA Group

Airtel

Al-Hidaayah International

American University of Afghanistan

Anhui Tainying Group

Antoree

Aparajita Literacy Program

Artland Photography

Ashoka University

Asian Floor Wage

Asian University for Women

ASSIST Asia

Astoria Values

Astro-Vision Futuretech Pvt. Ltd

Backpack

BadClay Studio

Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies

Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited

Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies

Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center

Bargad Organization for Youth Development

Bawm Silent Activist Movement

BBC Media

ActionBhutan Cancer Society

Biodiversity Sri Lanka

Bismillah International Shipping and Trading Co. Ltd

Bonshoe Bangladesh Limited

Boomerang International Educational Services

BRAC Afghanistan

BRAC Bank Limited

BRAC Institute of Governance and Development

BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health

BRAC University

Brighton Hospital and Diagnostic Center

British American Tobacco, Bangladesh

British Council

Bung Phra Phitsanulok Commercial College

Business for Social Responsibility

Cambodia Disabled People’s Organization

Canadian Embassy

CARE Cambodia

Caritas

Catalog Publicity

CBC Optical Industries-BD Co Ltd

CEBCenter for Environmental and Geographic Information Services

Center for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh

Center for Leadership Assistance and Promotion

Center for Mass Education in Science

Center for Policy Dialogue

CERGE-EICeyoka Health (Pvt) Ltd.Changing Stories

Changzamtog Lower Secondary School

Chemists Without Borders

Chevron Bangladesh

Christian Aid

CitiClinical Health Promotion Centre

Concern WorldWide

Creative Associates International, Inc.

CyberCustomerCare

Daayitwa

Daily Asian Age

DanChurchAid

Danish Refugee Council

Decathlon Bangladesh

Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting Inc

Democracy International

Depart Art Magazine

Development Alternatives

DevResonance Ltd.

Disaster Management Watch

Drug Advisory Programme, Colombo Plan, Afghanistan

Druk Holding and Investments

Drukair Corporation Limited

Drukair Corporation Limited

E&T Asia

Efficient Engineering

Embassy of Republic of Indonesia

Emirates Technical and Safety Development Center

English For Tomorrow

ESOFT Metro Campus

European Parliament

Ewha Womans University

Fagligt Fælles Forbund

Falck Safety Service UAE

Financial Express

First Microfinance Bank-Afghanistan

Flextecs Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

Florida International University

FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Franklin Covey Korea and Korea Telecom

Fuse

Galileo Nepal

GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh Ltd

Government of Bangladesh

Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd

Greenwave China Water & Air Solutions Senior Consultant

GRIHAYAN Ltd

Gross National Happiness Commission Secretariat, Bhutan

Gru Security and Detective Bureau

Gulf Flex General TRDG.L.L.C

H&M

Habitat for Humanity International

Hashoo Foundation

Ha Pvt Ltd

Health Coach

Heart Beat Organization

Herald College

Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry

High Peace Council, Mothers of Peace

Hootum Bangladesh Limited

Huawei Technologies

Humanity & Inclusion Sri Lanka

Toys-R-Yours Project

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh

ICT Sector Development Project of Afghanistan

Identity Inclusion

Illinois State University

Imprint

Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee

Institute for Research and Development

Innovations for Poverty Action

Institute of Policy Studies

Institution for Suitable Action for Prosperity

International Committee of the Red Cross

International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group

International Labour Organization

International Organization for Migration

International Rescue Committee

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Internews

Invest Nepal Pvt.Ltd

IPDC Finance Limited

Islington College, Nepal

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Jeeon

Jeevan TV

JLanka Technologies

Joint Institute of Innovation Policy

JPGSPH-BRAC

Kabul University

Kalapas Biotech Pvt. Ltd

KDS Group

Khatib & Alami

Käte Hamburger Kolleg

KinderCare Learning Center

Københavns Universitet

Koide India

Konrad Adenauer Foundation

Korea Eximbank

Korea Eximbank Dhaka Representative Office

Kumon

Lalan Engineering Pvt

Legend Elastic Company

L’Oreal

Lyceum International School

Marquette University

MAS Holdings, PVT LTD

Medecins Sans Frontieres

Medical Action Myanmar

Mekong Migration Network

Mass General Hospital

Ministry of Counter Narcotics, Afghanistan

Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan

Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Bhutan

Monsoon Accessorize Limited

mPower Social Enterprises Ltd

My/Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College

Mutual Assistance Network

National Environment Commission Secretariat

Nepal Health Research Council

Neurosoft Technologies Limited

New York University, Abu Dhabi

New York University, Shanghai

Nijera Kori

Ninh Binh Seed Plants & Livestock JSC

NKSoft BD Limited

Noi Tieng Anh Di Limited Company

North American Agriculture Joint Stock Company

North South University

Obayashi, Shimizu Joint Venture

Obboy

Office of The First Lady of Afghanistan

Office of the President of Afghanistan

Ogilvy and Mather

One Billion Rising

Onion Film Nepal

Open Space Planning Practice Student

OpenM Vietnam

Oxfam

Pelchat & Gravel Investments Inc

PEPY Empowering Youth

Phase Nepal

PHP Group International Vietnam

Plan International

Promise Bangladesh

Promote:Women in Economy

PT. Kendal Industrial Park

Purkal Youth Development Society

Qatar Building Engineering Company W.L.L.

Quay Asia Ltd

ReThink Bangladesh

REthink

Reed Consulting Bangladesh Ltd.

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit

RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture, and Empower Women)

Renewable World

RHSTEP

Rights Jessore

Rinzing Financing Group

Robi Axiata Limited

Roles Association for Social Change

Royal Educare Limited

Royal Institute International School

Rural Access Programme 3

S. W. Nepal Pvt. Ltd (Scott Wilson Nepal)

SAARC Secretariat

Safe Child Thailand

SARUS, Beyond the Border

Save The Children

Schneider Electric Energy and Sustainability Services

Scope Global Pty Ltd

SD ASIA

Search of Common Ground, Pakistan

Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women

Shanmuga Maha Vidyalaya School

Shenzhen Pattison Education Group

Sibly Inc

Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope

Singapore Institute of Clinical Sciences

Skyscrapers Pvt. Ltd.

SMEC International Pty Ltd

Social Safety and Social Protection Organization

South Asian Partnership Nepal

Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service

SSL Wireless Limited

Standard Chartered Bank

Storrea

Strategic Typhoid Alliance Against Typhoid in Asia and Africa

Strategy XXI

Sunaulo Parivar Nepal

Sutherland Global Service

Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research

Taeyoung Engineering and Construction Company

Teach For Bangladesh

Teach for India

Teach For Nepal

Teach Water Pvt

Techuire Islamabad Pakistan

Terre Des Hommes

Thames Water

The American Corner, Sri Lanka

The Asia Foundation

The Embassy of the State of Qatar

The Jane Goodall Institute Nepal

The Learning Barn

The New Indian Express

The NorthCap University

The Norwegian Centre for ICT in Education

The Skyscraper Now

The World Association of Chinese Elite

Thirst

Tianjin Transways Limited

TM Grow International Corporation

TMA Solutions

TMF Group

Total Credit Recovery Limited

Tradeasia International Pte Ltd

Training and Technology Transfer

Transparency International Cambodia

Tropical Institute of Ecological Science

Turkish Hope International School

Two Acres Care Home

UK Cabinet Office

Ullens School

United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials

United Nations Development Programme

UNESCO

UN-Habitat

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF

Unilever

UNIQLO

United Nations

United Nations World Food Programme

University of Colorado Denver-School of Medicine

University of Illinois

University of Malaya

University of Oxford

Ural Federal University

Urban Residential (BD) Ltd

USAID Feed the Future Bangladesh Rice and Diversified Crops, ACDI/VOCA

USAID Initiative to Strengthen Local Administration

Uttara University

Vacasa

VF Corporation

VNG Corporation

VSO

Wageningen University

Wedu Organization

Welthungerhilfe

Women for Women International

Women’s League of Burma

Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust

World Bank

World Health Organization

WorldLearning

World Vision International Cambodia

Wright State University

WSUP_Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor

WWF- Pakistan

Young Power in Social Actions

Youngone

Yuwa India Trust

Z Publications

Zygo-Ametek

*This is not a comprehensive list.

1800+ Graduates from 22 Countries

20% Pursue Graduate School & 80% Return to Home Country

60+ Alumnae Supporting Refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

10M+ People Provided Education & Healthcare by AUW Graduates

Tanzil Ferdous

Bangladesh

Tanzil currently works full-time at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cox’s Bazaar, where she completed a summer internship while studying at AUW. At UNHCR, Tanzil works in the Program Department. She oversees and coordinates the programmatic side of all the activity that occurs in the organization and its partners and ensures that programs run smoothly. Recently, Tanzil also began working with Rohingya refugees through JAAGO foundation and has worked to create a safe space for over 500 children in the refugee camp through her involvement with a project called Safe Haven.

In 2018, Tanzil was among 10 individuals from around the world to receive the Emerging Young Leaders Award from the U.S. Department of State for her leadership and humanitarian work in Bangladesh.

Saren Keang

Cambodia

I grew up in a small village in the countryside of Cambodia. My parents had received very little education due to the civil war and the genocide, and financial constraints have always been a problem for us. We have never had savings. Receiving a full scholarship from AUW proved to my community that girls are worthy of higher education, and they now send their daughters and granddaughters to school without hesitation. I am now working as the Assistant to the Head of Commission 8 in the Cambodian National Assembly. I work with the other country ministries, including Public Health, Social Work and Women’s Affairs to ensure the implementation of new laws legislated by the Assembly. I also work with the Parliamentary institute of Cambodia to research social issues before designing new laws. My passions are education and female empowerment, and my experience at AUW has prepared me to become a leader and to serve as a role model for the next generation to come.

Tien Nguyen

Vietnam

My dad told me ‘The only way to solve our poverty is through education’, and AUW has given me that solution. I grew up near Hue, Vietnam. My family was very poor, and often times there was not enough food to go around the family. While my classmates were highly competitive thanks to outside tutoring, I never gave up and became one of the top performers in school. When I joined AUW in 2012 on a full scholarship, my English improved quickly. I worked hard and earned the opportunity to participate in an exchange program in South Korea followed by an internship with L’Oréal headquarters in Paris. After my graduation from AUW in 2017, I joined L’Oréal Vietnam as a Management Trainee. Thanks to my AUW education, I have opportunities that my parents never had, and I intend to make a positive impact on my community.

Christina Tamang

Nepal

When I was young my family migrated from the small mountain village of Tipling in Nepal to the bustling capital of Kathmandu in search of a better life. In order to afford my school fees, my mother began making handicrafts out of chocolate and noodle wrappers which I would collect from garbage piles on the side of the road. I studied hard to earn a scholarship. I was thrilled to receive a scholarship from AUW that provided me an opportunity to pursue my then dream in medicine. It was not until I experienced the turmoil of earthquake in Nepal in 2015 that I was called to the humanitarian and development field.

In my first role at the Nepal Jesuit Social Institute, I worked to establish a partnership to facilitate the recruitment of girls from high human trafficking zones in Nepal to study at AUW. I am now working for an NGO called People in Need, specifically on a project called Durable Solutions II. I am involved in facilitating the relocation of landless earthquake victims residing in geo-hazardous sites and promoting safety of relocated communities through “Her Safety” training, focused on women’s empowerment.

It is thanks to the liberal arts curriculum and community engagement opportunities at AUW that I am able to work for an NGO and make a difference in my society.

Sharmin

Bangladesh

Sharmin has made a commitment to changing the lives of those around her – particularly women. Under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, she works as a Senior Coordination Assistant for the International Organization for Migration in the Cox’s Bazaar area refugee camps of Bangladesh, where she previously worked as a Program Assistant on Sexual and Gender Based Violence.

Her work continues the theme of leadership that Sharmin developed at AUW, as President of Model United Nations, Vice President of the Student Government, and a member of the Speak Up Against Violence Against Women organization. She conducted thesis research on intimate partner violence in her home region of Noakhali, where some of her neighbors originally scorned her intention to pursue a bachelor’s degree at an international university.

Tanjila Drishti

Bangladesh

I joined AUW in 2010 and graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. I grew up in Bangladesh and witnessed firsthand how youths around me have been dis-empowered due to lack of exposure and opportunities; and how the burden of conservativeness is double on a girl.

I am currently working as the youngest Senior Manager at world’s largest development organization: BRAC, and I hold a master’s degree in Globalisation, Business and Development from University of Sussex. I have led projects to combat child marriage, develop leadership among youth, empower urban poor, ensure higher education of RMG workers, and advocate for safe rehabilitation of slum dwellers. Currently I am focused on developing interventions to reduce maternal and child mortality in Bangladesh, ensuring access to public-private services for poor and combating underage pregnancy among victims of child marriage in Bangladesh.

My education at AUW transformed me from being a girl with dreams to a responsible and sensible woman with achievements and a vision for a better world.

Anuradha Wickramasinghe

Sri Lanka | Class of 2018

The major turning point of my life was in 2014 in a place where I attended lectures and joined a global community of likeminded people from various cultures. That place was AUW. Growing up in a small city in Sri Lanka with limited exposure to the world along with financial constraints, I often wondered what it would feel like to study abroad. Receiving a full scholarship at AUW allowed be to break through social and economic barriers.

AUW showed me a completely new way of life which I would never have discovered if I stayed at home. The distinct cultural perspectives gained through interactions with students from AUW provided me the opportunity for personal growth and development. Conducting summer projects and taking part in internship programs through AUW really brought out my independent nature which eventually helped me transform my shortcomings in to skills. At last, every memory at AUW showed me the value of empowering young Asian women to help them reach their dreams and achieve their goals.

Duth Kimsru

Cambodia

Duth Kimsru was born in Cambodia in a village of only 15 families. There was no electricity, running water, or a hospital; the local school only taught students up to Grade 6. In order to afford further her schooling, Kimsru helped with her mother’s second job, laundering neighbor’s clothing by hand. In her final year of high school, Kimsru was given a brochure for AUW’s Access Academy, which showed photos of women of many nationalities doing sciences experiments and using computers. “The brochures were written in English,” Kimsru remembers, “and I know only a little bit [of] English. But, I was so excited at the pictures that I had seen, that I sat with the brochures and an English dictionary to check almost every word until I could understand what it said.” When Kimsru enrolled in AUW, she was the first person in her family to attend university. On March 19, 2018, Duth Kimsru and nine other emerging leaders of southeast Asian nations, met with former president of the United States, Barack Obama, in Singapore. The roundtable was held to identify how the Obama Foundation can help support these changemakers’ missions and visions for positive impact in their communities.

Ishra Azim

Bangladesh

I grew up in Bangladesh where women rarely work outside the home or pursue careers of their own. When I joined AUW in 2010, it was an empowering experience. I did international internships, attended conferences and travelled independently. The multicultural environment at AUW was exciting and eye opening. After graduating in 2014 with a degree in Biological Sciences, I worked as a fellow at AUW for one year supporting public health and biology courses. Armed with an AUW degree, I secured a full-ride scholarship to pursue my MPH in Biostatistics at Florida International University, Miami. I am now a statistician for A*STAR Singapore, a global research institution.

The broad mix of technical and liberal arts studies, and the multi-disciplinary education at AUW broadened my critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills, preparing me to work in a culturally diverse international setting. I will soon go for my PhD in biostatistics and continue my research in public health. I want more women in Bangladesh to study science – we need more women in the field.

Sharon Panackal

India

I grew up in Kerela, India, a patriarchal society with very conservative views of women’s role in society. AUW came into my life at the right time. I got to travel across the world, to Stanford University for a summer program, and for an internship at Starbucks in Seattle. I discovered the infinite opportunities I have and my potential to make positive social changes through creative arts. I started my career with CARE India as a Media Officer, working for girls’ education, and currently, I work as a Communications Specialist with Operation Eyesight Universal – an INGO that works towards eliminating avoidable blindness in developing countries in Asia and Africa.

Banazeer Yaqoob

Pakistan

I graduated from AUW in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies. I always wanted to pursue higher studies and AUW gave me the opportunity not only to achieve my dream but also to find meaning in life by contributing to society. Diversity at AUW taught to celebrate differences. My professors and friends at AUW became my biggest support system and they continue to play a major role in my personal and professional life.

After graduation, I was hired as a Management Trainee at Aga Khan University Faculty of Arts and Sciences (AKU-FAS). A year later, I received a permanent role as a Curriculum Development Associate for the Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) where I learned more about the educational system in Pakistan and worked closely with teachers and students in schools across the country. Currently, I am doing my master’s in Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta, Canada with a scholarship from Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). AUW was a turning point in my life. It gave me the confidence to believe in myself and to continue working hard to achieve my dreams with an aim to make a bigger impact in my community.

Vylyny Chat

Cambodia

AUW has made me realize that education is more than just a degree and life is more than your salary. I have become a global citizen who strives for more than what my society has told me to be. After graduation, I worked as a Clinical Program Coordinator at a Cambodian hospital, where we worked to provide free oncological care to low-income women. I was later chosen to be a Global Academic Fellow at New York University Shanghai. During my fellowship, I worked as a Biology teaching assistant and provided academic support services to students on campus. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at New York University’s main campus in New York City.

Mowmita Basak Mow

Bangladesh

“At AUW I had the chance to grow in a multi-cultural educational atmosphere, which has changed my life, and with this education I hope to change the lives of others. My AUW education not only equipped me with academic proficiency but also reshaped my values, thoughts and perceptions. AUW has been a life-changing entity for me, where I was encouraged to dream big and to be a leader of tomorrow.” Mowmita earned her Master’s in Public Policy from Oxford in 2017 with full scholarship support from the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust. She recently completed an internship with the UK Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), which advises the UK Prime Minister on ethical standards across public life in England. As part of her internship, Mowmita produced a report with recommendations to improve public trust and accountability between the UK government and its citizens. She is now pursuing a career in public policy to address the rights of women and refugees.