As a teenager growing up in Bangladesh, Kamal Ahmad wrestled with inequities that kept children from disadvantaged families out of school. He carefully studied the challenges, conducted surveys in the community, and published a report that attracted the attention of a Canadian development agency. They then financed a series of ‘afternoon schools’ he designed and administered for out-of-school working adolescents. The experience of designing schools led to a lifelong commitment to ensuring educational opportunities for people marginalized by traditional systems.

Over the years, Kamal has found that by creating new models of educational institutions focusing on both equity and excellence, a larger systemic change can be triggered from within. To that end, he’s devoted the last decade and more to building the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

It’s a residential international university that focuses on educating women, particularly first-generation university entrants, from across Asia and the Middle East. AUW has graduated nearly 1,300 students from 18 countries, bringing together a rising alumnae network of emerging leaders from across the region. Almost all students attend on a full scholarship.

The university also forms partnerships that help women forge a career path after university. For example, the team recently joined forces with HSBC to launch the School of Apparel and Retail Management — a one-year Master’s program. Bangladesh’s largest export industry is apparel, and the school will help develop young women’s skills and knowledge across the board, from supply chains to branding.

AUW’s landmark charter was adopted by the Parliament of Bangladesh in 2006 because it exhibits many best practices: institutional autonomy, academic freedom, preferential treatment for students from lower-income backgrounds, and non-discrimination.