Students from Nagaland
Ethel Merry and Mercy Kikon
We find it relatively easy to decide which course to do, but where to go is what we find harder to decide. As good as a course might be it is equally important to study in a university which we can relate to, because life in the campus should be comfortable and multifarious. As we begin to document our experiences at Asian University for Women, Bangladesh we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be students at one of South Asia's few internationally recognized universities for women that are continuing to educate, motivate and empower women throughout Asia.
I am Ethel Merry, a sophomore student majoring in Bioinformatics with a Computer Science minor and I will be sharing my journey and experiences learnt thus far along with Mercy Kikon, who is another undergraduate student majoring in PPE (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics) and minoring in DS (Developmental Studies). We are both Nagaland residents enrolled at AUW in 2018 and we are excited to share our AUW experiences and testimonials.
Asian University for Women is located in Chittagong, Bangladesh and was founded on the belief that education for women provides a critical pathway to leadership development, economic progress and social and political equality in societies. The university offers an American-style liberal arts and sciences curriculum to young women from diverse cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds from across South East Asia as well as the Middle East. AUW is a residential campus and students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities, including participating in different clubs, organizing cultural events, competing in sports etc.
On our first day at AUW we were thrilled to meet new people from all over Asia and study alongside them. Considering the fact that we were new to Bangladesh, we were worried about our safety because it was a major issue for our parents back home and we were unsure on how we would transition to a new foreign institution with such a diverse cultural population. To our amazement, the professors, faculties and the students were all incredibly kind and welcoming, making us feel almost like home. The professors at AUW are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly and interacting with them is one of the most fascinating aspects about AUW.
Besides, AUW ensures complete protection and provides on- campus security, with full attention on CCTV cameras around the campus. They assist in the monitoring and facilitation of our safety measures even when we are out shopping or for other purposes. Aside from the university cafeteria, there are many departmental stores, restaurants, cafés and pharmacy stores within a 5-minute walk from the university.
Currently, there are about 900 international students enrolled at AUW including 18 Indian students. We are one big family, everyone working towards the same goal, achieving excellence and promoting women's empowerment. AUW believes that diversity is a vital component of academic achievement. Hence, every student at AUW is given the opportunity to display their interests, talents and their own distinct culture, in order to learn from the experiences, beliefs, and perspectives that are different from our own. AUW hosts a diversified 20+ background of nationalities, languages, races, cultures, and traditions from around the world. Despite the cultural and religious differences, we all live in harmony and we celebrate our diversities. Currently, there are 50+Indian alumnae, many of whom are in leading Universities of Europe and America for further studies like Oxford University (UK), Columbia University (United States), Ewha Women's University (South Korea), New York University, etc.
The AUW curriculum focuses on critical thinking, creative writing and problem solving.
In most conventional classrooms, we are taught to memorize material. We study information to regurgitate it on a test and forget it the following day. We thought this was learning but, after joining AUW, we realized we were wrong. We generally have classes five days a week. The first thing we do when we get up in the morning is go to breakfast and get ready for our classes. After the classes are over, we have our lunch and then return to our rooms. We then have the option of going to the IT laboratories, library or student space to read or socialize with our peers. We also participate in a variety of extracurricular activities besides our studies that help us to explore our interests and enhance life skills. Depending on our preferences, we can also participate in PE classes such as karate, swimming, cycling, and other Indoor activities. We are also exposed to different kinds of opportunities, ranging from studying abroad, summer schools and exchange programs in Korea, Italy, Hong Kong, France etc. Being a member of the AUW choir and having the opportunity to travel around the world on choir tours is one of the most thrilling experiences besides our academics. We are presently looking forward to another exciting Choir tour in France that will begin in late September. During these tours, we represent our cultures wearing traditional attires whilst representing the diversity of the university. We can assuredly say that we have been on a learning trip filled with joy and amazement since the beginning of our time at AUW.
AUW provides an all women learning environment, work placements, Internships and top graduate school placements. The University offers need based financial aid for students from Nagaland. We highly encourage eligible students, who are willing to take this massive opportunity and make a meaningful impact in their life. AUW provides a top quality liberal arts curriculum with international faculties enabling us to be academically independent and successful women leaders of the future and it benefits us in more ways than one, since it allows us to interact with academic and social entrepreneurial leaders from all around the world. Time has been flying by and it is hard to believe that we have been on campus for three years already. Life at AUW is a great experience and we plan to make the most out of it.
For more details contact: info@auw.edu.bd or visit www.asian-university.org
