Asian University for Women

What Asian University for Women does

Asian University for Women (AUW) is an independent, non-profit residential university chartered by the Parliament of Bangladesh in 2006 and headquartered in Chittagong. The institution is positioned as the first fully independent regional university dedicated to women's education and leadership development, recruiting students from across Asia and the Middle East into a residential learning community. AUW delivers a tiered academic portfolio consisting of Pre-Undergraduate Programs, Undergraduate Programs (liberal arts and sciences majors, including the newly launched Applied Mathematics and Data Sciences major), Master's Programs, and a Summer School offered in partnership with Chevron. Beyond classroom instruction, the university operates specialized research and student-service units: the Center for Climate Change and Environmental Health (CCCEH), the Center of Leadership and Professional Development (CLPD), and the Service Learning Center.

The institution's business model combines tuition and fees (with scholarships and financial aid available) with philanthropic support raised through an international network of country-specific support foundations — including the Asian University for Women Support Foundation (AUWSF), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit in Cambridge, Massachusetts (EIN 36-4483980), plus parallel foundations in the UK, Denmark, Hong Kong, and Japan. Distribution is direct via an online application portal (apps.auw.edu.bd/admission). AUW does not appear to rely on proprietary technology platforms as a core part of its offering; the website (asian-university.org) is the principal digital touchpoint for admissions, news, and information. The institution is currently expanding physical capacity through a Campus Center construction project that began in 2022, featuring classrooms, labs, tiered lecture halls, a library, cafeteria, faculty offices, student lounges, and computing centers.

Governance is led by Chancellor Cherie Blair and an Interim Vice Chancellor (Professor Sangita Rayamajhi, appointed June 2026). With 681 employees and a chartered, non-profit status, AUW's revenue, enrollment figures, and detailed pricing are not publicly disclosed, and the institution is supported by donor contributions funneled through its international support-foundation network.

Name

Asian University for Women

Legal name

Asian University for Women

Website

https://auw.edu.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Asian University for Women (AUW) is an independent, non-profit residential university in Chittagong, Bangladesh, chartered in 2006, providing liberal arts and sciences education to women recruited from across Asia and the Middle East to develop them as leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Women’s Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online International & Cross-Border Universities (Global/Transnational Providers) (EDAHALAL)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Women's education
• Liberal arts programs
• Leadership development
• Residential university

Headquarters

HQ city

Chittagong

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Asian University for Women is an independent, non-profit residential university that delivers higher education to women students recruited from across Asia and the Middle East. Its core academic portfolio includes Pre-Undergraduate Programs, Undergraduate Programs in liberal arts and sciences (including the newly launched Applied Math & Data Sciences Major), Masters Programs, and Summer School programming (including the Math and Science Summer School offered in partnership with Chevron). The institution supplements its academic programs with specialized centers such as the Center for Climate Change and Environmental Health (CCCEH), the Center of Leadership and Professional Development (CLPD), and the Service Learning Center.

Product overview

Asian University for Women operates as a residential educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs. The core offerings include Pre-Undergraduate Programs for foundational preparation, Undergraduate Programs leading to bachelor's degrees (including the newly launched Applied Math & Data Sciences Major), and Masters Programs for graduate studies. The university also provides Summer School programs, including a Math and Science program in partnership with Chevron. Supporting the academic mission are specialized centers including the Center for Climate Change and Environmental Health (CCCEH), the Center of Leadership and Professional Development (CLPD), and the Service Learning Center. The campus infrastructure includes the Campus Center under construction since 2022, offering modern educational facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Undergraduate Programs Foundation-level academic programs designed to prepare students for undergraduate studies at AUW. These programs bridge students into the university's degree pathways.
• Undergraduate Programs Bachelor's degree programs offering a liberal arts and sciences education to women students recruited from Asia and the Middle East. Majors include the newly launched Applied Math & Data Sciences major alongside other liberal arts and sciences disciplines, delivered in a residential learning community.
• Masters Programs Graduate-level degree programs for students who have completed undergraduate studies, extending AUW's academic offerings beyond the bachelor's level.
• Summer School Seasonal academic program including the AUW Math and Science Summer School, which is offered in partnership with Chevron and provides summer programming in math and science for students.
• Applied Math & Data Sciences Major New undergraduate major in Applied Mathematics and Data Sciences launched as part of AUW's academic programs expansion, offering students quantitative and data-focused training within the university's liberal arts and sciences framework.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ChevroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUW Math and Science Summer School is offered in partnership with Chevron. This partnership supports the educational mission by providing summer programming in math and science for students.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smith College: Premier US women's liberal arts college offering residential undergraduate education. Directly comparable to AUW's women-only, residential, liberal arts model, though serving a US student body rather than recruiting across Asia/Middle East.
• Spelman College: US historically Black women's liberal arts college with strong STEM and leadership development pipelines. Comparable to AUW on women-only admissions, residential liberal arts model, and emphasis on developing women leaders from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Bryn Mawr College: US women's liberal arts college with a strong tradition of residential undergraduate education and graduate programs. Directly comparable to AUW on women-only admissions, liberal arts curriculum, and graduate-school integration.
• Mount Holyoke College: Historically women's liberal arts college in the Five College Consortium. Comparable to AUW in mission (women's education, liberal arts + sciences, leadership), with a longer operating history and US-based student recruitment.
• Wellesley College: US women's liberal arts college with a residential model and strong STEM offerings. Shares AUW's women-only admissions, liberal arts + sciences core, and emphasis on leadership development of women graduates.
• Barnard College: US women's liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University. Mirrors AUW's women-only liberal arts model while leveraging affiliation with a larger research ecosystem - a model AUW could emulate for graduate/research scale.

Regional players

• Sophia College for Women: Women's college in Mumbai, India, offering undergraduate and graduate liberal arts and sciences programs. Comparable to AUW as a South Asian women's higher-education institution, though serving primarily Indian students in an urban Indian context.
• Lady Brabourne College: Women's college in Kolkata, India, offering undergraduate and graduate liberal arts and sciences programs. Direct regional comparable to AUW on women-only admissions and South Asian student base, though without AUW's international Middle East recruitment reach.
• Miranda House: Top-ranked women's college affiliated with the University of Delhi, offering liberal arts and sciences undergraduate programs. Comparable to AUW as a South Asian women's college with strong academic reputation, though based in India and primarily serving Indian students.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC University: Large private research university based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, offering a wide portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Comparable to AUW as a leading private Bangladeshi higher-education institution, though co-educational and significantly larger in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/asian-university-for-women

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asian University for Women