International Visitor Leadership Program
Exchange program funded by the US government
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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.[peacock prose]
up to three weeks. The program is nomination only by staff at U.S. Embassies.[1]
The exchange brings up to 5000 professional emerging leaders from around the world to the United States each year for programs of 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 and approved by President Harry S. Truman. During a time when Americans grew increasingly concerned about Soviet 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).[2][3]
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[4]
Notable alumni
The following tables list the 339 current and former chiefs of state and heads of government who have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program.
East Asia and Pacific
| Country | Name | Highest Position | Year Participated |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | Julia Gillard | Prime Minister | 2006 |
| Quentin Bryce | Governor General | 1978 | |
| Paul Keating | Prime Minister | 1977 | |
| William Hayden | Governor General | 1970 | |
| Malcolm Fraser | Prime Minister | 1964 | |
| Gough Whitlam | Prime Minister | 1964 | |
 Cook Islands | Terepai Maoate | Prime Minister | 1987 |
 Federated States of Micronesia | Tosiwo Nakayama | President | 1961 |
 Fiji | Kamisese Mara | Acting President | 1964 |
| Penaia Ganilau | President | 1963 | |
| George Cakobau | Governor General | 1964 | |
 Indonesia | Megawati Sukarnoputri | President | 1989 |
| Abdurrahman Wahid | President | 1979 | |
 Japan | Naoto Kan | Prime Minister | 1981, 1980 |
| Yukio Hatoyama | Prime Minister | 1988 | |
| Morihiro Hosokawa | Prime Minister | 1980 | |
| Toshiki Kaifu | Prime Minister | 2000, 1962 | |
 Malaysia | Mahathir Mohamad | Prime Minister | 1973 |
| Abdul Razak Hussein | Prime Minister | 1963, 1953 | |
 Mongolia | Nambaryn Enkhbayar | President | 1994 |
 New Zealand | Helen Clark | Prime Minister | 1998 |
| Jenny Shipley | Prime Minister | 1989 | |
| David Lange | Prime Minister | 1983 | |
| Norman Kirk | Prime Minister | 1971, 1962 | |
| Rob Muldoon | Prime Minister | 1965 | |
| Wallace E. Rowling | Prime Minister | 1967 | |
| Jack Marshall | Prime Minister | 1958 | |
 Palau | Lazarus Salii | President | 1968 |
 Papua New Guinea | Ignatius Kilage | Governor-General | 1976 |
| Michael Somare | Prime Minister | 1971 | |
 Philippines | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | President | 1964 |
| Sara Duterte | Vice President | 2020 | |
 Samoa | Vaai Kolone | Prime Minister | 1981 |
 Singapore | Wee Kim Wee | President | 1964 |
| Devan Nair | President | 1979 | |
 South Korea | Kim Dae-jung | President | 1965 |
| Kim Yong-sam | President | 1964 | |
| Han Seung-soo | Prime Minister | 1977 | |
| Hyun Seung-jong | Acting Prime Minister | 1971 | |
| Lee Yung-duk | Prime Minister | 1966 | |
| Kim Sang-hyup | Prime Minister | 1970, 1960 | |
| Nam Duck-woo | Prime Minister | 1975 | |
| Chung Il-kwon | Prime Minister | 1971 | |
| Lee Han-key | Prime Minister | 1972 | |
| Choi Doo-sun | Prime Minister | 1950 | |
 Taiwan | Ma Ying-jeou | President | 2003, 1971 |
| Chen Shui-bian | President | 1990 | |
 Thailand | Chuan Leekpai | Prime Minister | 1971 |
 Tonga | Taufa'ahau Tupou IV | King | 1964 |
| Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake | Prime Minister | 1968 | |
 Vanuatu | Walter Lini | Prime Minister | 1976 |
Europe
| Country/Region | Name | Highest Position | Year Participated |
|---|---|---|---|
 Albania | Bashkim Fino | Prime Minister | 1996, 1995 |
 Austria | Heinz Fischer | President | 1964 |
| Alfred Gusenbauer | Chancellor | 1987 | |
| Wolfgang Schüssel | Chancellor | 1984, 1971 | |
| Franz Vranitzky | Chancellor | 1975 | |
| Bruno Kreisky | Chancellor | 1958 | |
| Fred Sinowatz | Chancellor | 1965 | |
 Belgium | Yves Leterme | Prime Minister | 1983 |
| Guy Verhofstadt | Prime Minister | 1983 | |
| Wilfried Martens | Prime Minister | 1971 | |
| Leo Tindemans | Prime Minister | 1967 | |
| Mark Eyskens | Prime Minister | 1984 | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mladen Ivanić | Member of Presidency | |
 Bulgaria | Sergei Stanishev | Prime Minister | 2004 |
| Zhan Videnov | Prime Minister | 1992 | |
| Philip Dimitrov | Prime Minister | 1990 | |
 Croatia | Zoran Milanović | Prime Minister | 1996 |
| Ivo Josipović | President | 2002 | |
| Ivica Racan | Prime Minister | 1998 | |
| Zlatko Tomčić | President | 1998 | |
 Cyprus | Tassos Papadopoulos | President | 1968 |
 Czech Republic | Petr Nečas | Prime Minister | 1999, 1994 |
 Denmark | Lars Løkke Rasmussen | Prime Minister | 1989 |
| Anders Fogh Rasmussen | Prime Minister | 1982 | |
| Poul Nyrup Rasmussen | Prime Minister | 1985 | |
 Estonia | Juhan Parts | Prime Minister | 2005, 1992 |
 Finland | Sauli Niinistö | President | 1992 |
| Tarja Halonen | President | 1983 | |
| Jyrki Katainen | Prime Minister | 2003 | |
| Matti Vanhanen | Prime Minister | 1993 | |
| Paavo Lipponen | Prime Minister | 1974 | |
| Esko Aho | Prime Minister | 1979 | |
| Harri Holkeri | Prime Minister | 1970 | |
| Anneli Tuulikki Jaatteenmaki | Prime Minister | 1995 | |
 France | Nicolas Sarkozy | President | 1985 |
| François Fillon | Prime Minister | 1984 | |
| Lionel Jospin | Prime Minister | 1977 | |
| Alain Juppé | Prime Minister | 1978 | |
| Raymond Barre | Prime Minister | 1965 | |
| Pierre Bérégovoy | Prime Minister | 1977 | |
| Valéry Giscard d'Estaing | President | 1956 | |
| Jacques Chaban-Delmas | Prime Minister | 1961 | |
| Michel Debré | Prime Minister | 1956 | |
 Georgia | Mikheil Saakashvili | President | 1999 |
| Zurab Noghaideli | Prime Minister | 1997 | |
| Zurab Zhvania | Prime Minister | 1997 | |
 Germany | Joachim Gauck | President | 1993 |
| Christian Wulff | President | 2000 | |
| Gerhard Schröder | Chancellor | 1981 | |
| Richard von Weizsäcker | President | 1978 | |
| Walter Scheel | President | 1951 | |
| Karl Carstens | President | 1950 | |
| Kurt Georg Kiesinger | Chancellor | 1954 | |
| Willy Brandt | Chancellor | 1954 | |
| Helmut Schmidt | Chancellor | 1956 | |
 Greece | Konstandinos Karamanlis | Prime Minister | 1995 |
| Constantine Mitsotakis | Prime Minister | 1959 | |
| Constantine Karamanlis | President | 1951 | |
| Constantine Tsatsos | President | 1952 | |
| George Rallis | Prime Minister | 1958, 1953 | |
 Hungary | Gyula Horn | Prime Minister | 1981 |
| József Antall | Prime Minister | 1989 | |
 Iceland | Geir Haarde | Prime Minister | 1985 |
| David Oddsson | Prime Minister | 1983 | |
| Thorsteinn Palsson | Prime Minister | 1984 | |
| Kristjan Eldjarn | President | 1957 | |
 Ireland | Enda Kenny | Prime Minister | 1989 |
| Mary Robinson | President | 1976 | |
| John Bruton | Prime Minister | 1980 | |
 Italy | Oscar Luigi Scalfaro | President | 1960 |
| Francesco Cossiga | President | 1966 | |
| Giuseppe Saragat | President | 1963 | |
| Mario Monti | Prime Minister | 1981 | |
| Romano Prodi | Prime Minister | 1979 | |
| Giovanni Goria | Prime Minister | 1981 | |
| Giovanni Spadolini | Prime Minister | 1952 | |
| Arnaldo Forlani | Prime Minister | 1960 | |
 Kosovo | Fatmir Sejdiu | President | 2003 |
| Bajram Kosumi | Prime Minister | 2001 | |
| Bajram Rexhepi | Prime Minister | 2000 | |
 Lithuania | Dalia Grybauskaitė | President | 1994 |
| Gediminas Kirkilas | President | 2002, 1993 | |
| Arturas Paulauskas | President | 1992 | |
 Luxembourg | Jacques Santer | Prime Minister | 1973 |
 Macedonia | Nikola Gruevski | Prime Minister | 2000 |
| Boris Trajkovski | President | 1996 | |
| Ljubco Georgievski | Prime Minister | 1996 | |
 Malta | Joseph Muscat | Prime Minister | 1984 |
| Edward Fenech Adami | President | 1974, 1975 | |
| Guido De Marco | President | 1973 | |
| Lawrence Gonzi | Prime Minister | 1990 | |
| Ugo Mifsud Bonnici | President | 1971 | |
| Dominic Mintoff | Prime Minister | 1965 | |
 Moldova | Nicolae Timofti | President | 2005 |
| Petru Lucinschi | President | 1995 | |
 Montenegro | Igor Lukšić | Prime Minister | 1999 |
 The Netherlands | Jan Peter Balkenende | Prime Minister | 1985 |
| Willem Kok | Prime Minister | 1978 | |
| Joop den Uyl | Prime Minister | 1953, 1979 | |
 Norway |
Erna Solberg | Prime Minister | 1996 |
| Jens Stoltenberg | Prime Minister | 1988 | |
| Thorbjorn Jagland | Prime Minister | 1982 | |
| Kjell Magne Bondevik | Prime Minister | 1971 | |
| Jan P. Syse | Prime Minister | 1978 | |
| Kare Willoch | Prime Minister | 1979 | |
 Poland | Beata Szydło | Prime Minister | 2004 |
| Bronislaw Komorowski | President | 2006 | |
| Donald Tusk | Prime Minister | 1995 | |
| Hanna Suchocka | Prime Minister | 1988 | |
| Mieczysław Rakowski | Prime Minister | 1978 | |
| Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz | Prime Minister | 2000 | |
| Aleksander Kwasniewski | President | 1994 | |
 Portugal | Aníbal Cavaco Silva | President | 1978 |
| Jorge Sampaio | President | 1965 | |
| Mario Alberto Soares | President | 1976 | |
| António Guterres | Prime Minister | 1978 | |
| Francisco Pinto Balsemao | Prime Minister | 1965 | |
 Romania | Victor Ciorbea | Prime Minister | 1995 |
 Slovenia | Borut Pahor | Prime Minister | 1991 |
| Janez Drnovšek | President | 1988 | |
 Spain | Eduardo Madina | Deputy | |
 Sweden | Fredrik Reinfeldt | Prime Minister | 2002 |
| Carl Bildt | Prime Minister | 1973 | |
 Switzerland | Moritz Leuenberger | President | 1993 |
| Andri Silberschmidt | National Councilor | 2019 | |
 Turkey | Abdullah Gul | President | 1995 |
| Suleyman Demirel | President | 1957 | |
 Ukraine | Leonid Kuchma | President | 1994 |
| Leonid Kravchuk | President | ||
 United Kingdom | Gordon Brown | Prime Minister | 1992, 1984 |
| Tony Blair | Prime Minister | 1992, 1986 | |
| Margaret Thatcher | Prime Minister | 1967 | |
| Edward Heath | Prime Minister | 1953 | |
| Humza Yousaf | First Minister of Scotland | 2008 |
North Africa, Near East, South Asia and Central Asia
| Country | Name | Highest Position | Year Participated |
|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | Hamid Karzai | President | 1987 |
 Bangladesh | Fakhruddin Ahmed | Chief Advisor | 1977 |
 Bhutan | Jigme Thinley | Prime Minister | 1987 |
| Khandu Wangchuk | Prime Minister | 1993 | |
 Egypt | Anwar Sadat | President | 1968 |
| Ahmed Nazif | Prime Minister | 1990 | |
| Ahmad Fuad Mohieddin | Prime Minister | 1977 | |
 India | Pratibha Patil | President | 1999, 1986 |
| Narendra Modi | Prime Minister | 1993 | |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee | Prime Minister | 1960 | |
| Indira Gandhi | Prime Minister | 1961 | |
| Morarji Desai | Prime Minister | 1962 | |
| Ayesha Rubina | Social Worker | 2012 | |
| Natarajan Velayutham | Advocate & Social Worker | 2024 | |
| Arun Daniel Yellamaty | Founder Youngistaan Foundation | 2022 | |
| Berly Thomas | Media Personality and Blogger | 2013 | |
 Israel | Moshe Katzav | President | 1980 |
| Ehud Olmert | Prime Minister | 1978 | |
 Jordan | Adnan Badran | Prime Minister | 1977 |
| Faisal al-Fayez | Prime Minister | 1988 | |
| Abdelsalam al-Majali | Prime Minister | 1969 | |
 Kyrgyzstan | Kurmanbek Bakiyev | President | 2004 |
 Lebanon | Amin Gemayel | President | 1979, 1972 |
| Elias Sarkis | President | 1971 | |
| Zaven Kouyoumdjian | Media Personality | 2006 | |
 Morocco | Azzedine Laraki | Prime Minister | 1986 |
| Maati Bouabid | Prime Minister | 1965, 1961 | |
 Nepal | Krishna Prasad Bhattarai | Prime Minister | 1993 |
| Sher Bahadur Deuba | Prime Minister | ||
 Pakistan | Ghulam Ishaq Khan | President | 1949 |
| Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | Future Prime Minister of Bangladesh | 1952 | |
 Sri Lanka | Mahinda Rajapakse | President | 1989 |
| Ranil Wickremesinghe | Prime Minister | 1988, 1981 | |
| Ratnasiri Wickremanayake | Prime Minister | 1975 | |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | President | 1966 | |
 Tunisia | Mohamed Mzali | Prime Minister | 1964 |
| Tunisia | Emna Mizouni | Wikipedia Of The Year 2019 | 2019 |
 Qatar | Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani | Prime Minister | 1989 |
 Yemen | Mohamed Qubaty | Minister, Ambassador & Media Personality | 2001 |
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.[6]