The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is a professional
exchange program funded by the
U.S. Department of State's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The mission of IVLP is to offer current and emerging international leaders the opportunity to experience the richness and diversity of American political, economic, social and cultural life through carefully designed exchanges that reflect participants’ professional interests and the
public diplomacy objectives of the United States government.
The exchange brings up to 5,000 professional emerging leaders from around the world to the United States each year for programs of up to three weeks. The program is nomination only by staff at U.S. Embassies.
History
In 1940,
Nelson Rockefeller was named the Coordinator of Commercial and Cultural Affairs for the American Republics. He initiated the exchange of persons program with Latin America, inviting 130 Latin American journalists to the United States and recognized as the first exchange under what would become the IVLP. In 1948 representative
Karl E. Mundt and Senator
H. Alexander Smith marshaled the
Informational and Educational Exchange Act, also known as the
Smith-Mundt Act which was passed by the
80th United States Congress
The 80th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1947, ...
and approved by President
Harry S. Truman. During a time when Americans grew increasingly concerned about
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
propaganda, the purpose of the Smith-Mundt was "to promote a better understanding of the United States in other countries, and to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries" though educational and cultural exchanges. From this legislation birthed the Foreign Leaders Program, which was eventually consolidated into the International Visitor Program (IVP) in 1952. In 2004, the IVP was renamed the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
Goals
The purpose of the IVLP is to:
# cultivate lasting relationships between current and emerging professionals around the world and their American counterparts
# provides opportunities for foreign opinion makers to gain firsthand knowledge about U.S. society, culture and politics
Notable alumni
The following tables list the 338 current and former chiefs of state and heads of government who have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program.
East Asia and Pacific
Europe
North Africa, Near East, South Asia and Central Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Western Hemisphere
Agencies involved
The IVLP functions through a cooperative agreement with several National Program Agencies and
Global Ties U.S., comprising organizations in 45 states, that arrange the itineraries for IVLP exchange participants.
*
CRDF Global
CRDF Global is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes safety, security, and sustainability through science and innovation. CRDF Global was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1992 under the FREEDOM Support Act and established in 1995 b ...
Cultural VistasFHI360Institute of International EducationMeridian International CenterMississippi Consortium for International DevelopmentGraduate School USAWorld Learning
References
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External links
IVLP OverviewGlobal Ties U.S.
United States Department of State
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
United States diplomatic programs