East West University, abbreviated as EWU, is a private research university in Aftabâ¯Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established in 1996 under the Private University Act of 1992.
It has established centres to support students in developing entrepreneurial skills and launching their own ventures. The university also operates a range of facilities, including libraries and research centers.
East West University was established in 1996 as a non-profit organization. Classes began in September 1996 with 6 faculty members and 20 students at the campus located at 43 Mohakhali Dhaka.
In 2002, East West University organized the International Conference on Computer and Information Technology, which is part of a series of conferences focused on Computer Science and Information Technology hosted in Bangladesh since 1997 by different universities each year. East West University is a member of the Trade Knowledge Network, a collaboration of research institutions in developed and developing countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The university is also active in the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economists (SANDEE).
In 2025, according to the QS World University Rankings, East West University is ranked between 1401 and 1500 globally. In 2020, EWU was ranked 3549 in the world and 14th among the 166 universities in Bangladesh by the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities. This ranking is based on the university's web presence and visibility.
According to the IDEAS ranking of Economic Research Institutions in Bangladesh, the Department of Economics at East West University has consistently ranked 1st in the country since 2014. The IDEAS database includes information on 13,177 economics institutions, 43,324 authors, and over 1,046,994 research publications across 94 fields.
In May 2012 the university moved to its permanent campus on Jahurul Islam Avenue, Jahurul Islam City, Aftabnagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Pragati Sarani, and covers 7.4 bighas of land. The total floor area of the nine-story university complex is 458,957.04 square feet.