Archnet was conceptualized in 1998 during a series of discussions between Aga Khan IV; the President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Charles Vest; and the Dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, William J. Mitchell.
Archnet originated in 1998 as a result of discussions led by Aga Khan IV, along with Charles Vest, President of MIT, and William J. Mitchell, Dean of MIT's School of Architecture and Planning.