The Asian University for Women in Bangladesh Educates Future Asian Leaders

Forbes Woman introduces us to The Asian University for Women, a new college dedicated to young women in South Asia and, eventually, the Middle East — regions where educating girls is not a priority and often rejected by families.

The liberal arts program is unusual in a region where rote learning is common, says Jack Meyer, chief executive at hedge fund Convexity Capital, who’s donated $6 million to the school and chairs the school’s board. “The focus of AUW’s [curriculum] is critical reasoning, problem solving and leadership,” says Meyer, who also used to manage Harvard’s endowment.

Founded five years ago with a preparatory school called Access Academy, the school has raised $40 million so far, including $8 million from the Gates Foundation.

Located in Bangladesh, the school enjoys a close relationship with Nobel prize winner and Grameen bank founder Muhammad Yunus. The school’s ties into the world of nonprofits and the globe’s most prestigious companies insure that talented young women will enjoy golden opportunities to succeed and advance the emerging institutions in their countries.

The university educates students about the world outside their countries but admits that the goal is for young women to return to their homelands as change agents.

Presently, the students are living in rented dorms in Chittagong, but the school is breaking land in fall 2010 on a new campus located on land donated by the Bangladeshi government.

Current Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajed and her predecessor and political rival Khaleda Zia are supporters of the school, which will eventually enroll 3000 undergrad and grad students.

Both politicians are women. Knowing of Dr. Yunus’s commitment to women in Bangladesh and throughout the world (including microloans for American women), I took a look at the Asian University for Women’s faculty, listed on the website.

Women dominate the faculty at the school, presenting an impressive list of credentials, beginning with Hoon Eng Khoo, provost and acting vice-chancellor or the university. At every step in their educational development, these young women are surrounded by female role models of success and men committed to their full potential. Anne