His Highness The Aga Khan undertook an 8-day Golden Jubilee visit to the United States at the invitation of the Governors of the states of Texas, California, Illinois and Georgia.
Upon his arrival to the United States, in Austin, Texas, The Aga Khan, accompanied by Princess Zahra, was received by Mayor Wynn of Austin, who presented The Aga Khan with the Key to the City of Austin. In Texas, The Aga Khan met Governor Rick Perry of Texas at the State Capitol where he also participated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University of Texas and the Aga Khan University. The agreement aims to further strengthen collaborations between the two institutions.
In Los Angeles, California, The Aga Khan met with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Governor’s private office in Santa Monica and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for a dinner at Getty House, the official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles. In Illinois, The Aga Khan met with Governor Rod Blagojevich and Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago.
One of the highlights of the visit was the Peterson Lecture, delivered by The Aga Khan in Atlanta on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IB). IB education programmes, currently offered at over 900 schools in the USA and over 2,200 schools world wide, are offered at the Aga Khan Academies, an integrated network of residential schools currently planned in 14 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central and South Asia. Whilst in Atlanta, The Aga Khan also met with Governor Sonny Perdue at the Governor’s Mansion.