The Volunteer Lecturer Program (VLP) was established in 2008 by International Mathematical Union (IMU) and the U.S./IMU Adhering Body (USNCM). The initiation was inspired by the programs of the Centre International de Mathématiques Pures et Appliquées (CIMPA) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) in Cambodia, the London Mathematical Society's Mentoring African Research in Mathematics (MARM) program, and the Norwegian Program for Development, Research and Education (NUFU) with southern African universities.