Kamal Ahmad is the Founder of the Asian University for Women – a university based in Bangladesh that is dedicated exclusively to the education and leadership development of women from throughout the region. Opened in 2008, the University already has students from 12 countries.
Ahmad currently serves as the President & CEO of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and in that capacity spearheaded a global effort that has successfully mobilized nearly $50 million in support for the University.
Growing up as a teenager in Bangladesh, Ahmad founded at age 14 a series of highly successful internationally funded alternative schools for children who worked as domestic help. As a freshman at Harvard College, he also founded and ran the Overseas Development Network – a national network of 70 campus student groups dedicated to engagement in and promotion of grassroots international development.
Prior to launching the Asian University for Women, Kamal combined a career in international development as well as private law practice. He conceived and co-directed the World Bank/UNESCO Task Force on Higher Education & Society and served on the staff of a number of international development organizations including the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation and UNICEF. He is a member of the Board of Directors of BRAC USA. He also served as a jury member for the Cartier Award for Women’s Entrepreneurship.
Ahmad is a recipient of a number of awards including United Nations Gold Peace Medal & Citation
Scroll, given by the Paul G. Hoffman Awards Fund for outstandingly significant work in national and international development; Time magazine College Achievement Award; Global Leader for Tomorrow Award from the World Economic Forum and the John Phillips Award from his alma mater the Phillips Exeter Academy.
Ahmad holds a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
Mr Kamal Ahmad
Founder, Asian University for Women
- CEO, AUW Support Foundation
- Co-Director World Bank/UNESCO Task Force on Higher Education 1998-2000
- Junior Professional Officer UNICEF 1991-1993