The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday hoped that the newly launched Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong would help forge a new Asian identity by bringing women from across Asia to benefit a region where economic prosperity has accrued unevenly.

"For here in Asia, the most successful new economies in the world today exist side by side with the largest concentration of the poor in the world. A new Asian identity, I believe, can help this region turn the extraordinary economic strides made by a few Asian countries, known as 'Asian Miracle', into a truly Asian phenomenon," he said.

The Chief Adviser, also the Chief Patron of the Asian University for Women, was addressing a function of the university at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

Grameen Bank founder and Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus, Acting Vice-chancellor of AUW Dr Hoon Eng Koo, chairman of the board of the AUW Support Foundation Jack Meyer, co-chair of the AUW International Support Committee Lone Dybkjaer, president and CEO of AUW Support Foundation Dr Kamal Ahmed and board member of Goldman Sachs Foundation and member board of AUW Support Foundation Kathy Matsui also spoke at the function.

The AUW started its journey through access academy's programme of students in March 2008. The Academy is now a home to a remarkably enthusiastic group of 130 young women from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Addressing the function, the CA mentioned some features of the university which impressed him and said the AUW can make an important contribution towards fostering excellence in higher education by actively engaging in recruiting the most gifted students from across Asia and the faculties from allover the world.

He appreciated the university's commitment to be open to students from different socioeconomic, religious, ethnic and national backgrounds, and its decision to reserve one-half of its new enrollments for students who are the first in their families to enter university.

"As the higher education runs the risk of becoming a purview of the economically well-off and the socially privileged to some extent, the AUW can help a new pathway for families to break the vicious cycle of social exclusion. The results will just not fairness of opportunity but also the ability to harness new talents in the service of our communities," Fakhrudidn told the function.

He hoped that the AUW would definitely be able to create a new pathway of turning new citizens and different citizens of the world.

Mentioning large-scale global mobilization of support triggered by the AUW and contributions of various world noted personalities and institutions, the CA said the thing what brings all together in the power of this idea is not only in changing the landscape of higher education but also unleashing the potential of half of our population.

"It's indeed a high time that we recognize this simple truth-no sustainable development can occur without the other half of our people fully engaging in the work of our nation," he said.

The CA hoped that the AUW would grow to be a true beacon inspiring generations of women to aspire and pursue the best education they can.

Addressing the function, Nobel laureate Prof Yunus said the AUW would be a melting pot for Asia and the world as well for creating new human being and new citizens. "It's a historic moment today because we want to make the dream true."

He said the AUW would act as a bridge to bring together languages, religions, nationalities, attitudes and values to make a new human being.

Prof Yunus said the AUW students would be problem-solvers, not castle-builders, and do not loose their feet from their soil.

He hoped that the daughters of the common people would get access to the university.

Later, the students of the AUWN Access Academy representing India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Bangladesh presented an impressive cultural programme at the function.