Throughout the year our city is visited by several hundred of foreign visitors. Most of them arrive to participate in study visits and trainings, as they wish to learn about various sectors of Gdynia's economy. Representatives of Gdynia also pay visits to our twin cities as well as to other foreign cities.Economy, environment protection and business contacts visit of specialists from OPEC (District Heating Company) in Aalborg plants such as: heat and power plants, heat stations and incinerating plants -1990 - 1992visit of Aalborg Public Utilities Commission - June 1998study visit of representatives of Swedish communes administration, engaged in building industry. The visit was organized by the Honorary Consul of Poland in Karlskrona in cooperation with the Economic Policy Department of the Gdynia City Hall - May 1998meeting of Gdynia City Hall authorities with representatives of the Stevedore Company from Karlskrona on the 8th of June 1999. Delegates of Karlskrona expressed interest in our city, and especially in public utilities management and the cooperation between the City and the Port. visit of representatives of the shipping organisation "World Ship Society" - branch in Rotterdam (Holland). The Dutch, during their stay, participated in a meeting with Gdynia authorities. Gdynia's economic, scientific and cultural potential was presented to the guests. Next, the Dutch had a meeting in the port of Gdynia. on 18.04.2000, in the Gdynia City Hall, a meeting with 15 members of Swedish Parliament was held. During the meeting the system of road construction in our region was presented. on 06.06.2000, in Gdynia Centre of Non- Governmental Organisations, a meeting with 25 economists from Karlskrona in Sweden was held. During that meeting City of Gdynia, local organisations and the structure of self-government were presented. Representatives of several departments of City Hall explained the basic rules of financial system and tax system in municipalities, the structure of public sector in Poland, the system of political elections in Poland, political parties and the structure of Gdynia City Hall along with the level of its computerization. on the 28th of August 2001 a visit of a group of about 30 representatives of the Association of Swedish Self-government Specialists on Finances took place. They attended the meeting in the City Hall, which started with a multimedia presentation of the city. Then the political and administrative structures of our country and the rules of financing of the municipalities (Gdynia was used as an example) were presented. Furthermore, selected issues connected with functioning of the health service in Poland were presented. Study visit of delegation of Gdynia to Klaipeda. The visit regarded the public transportation management- September 2001 study visit of a Kaliningrad Duma Deputy to discuss the possibilities of establishing a sea connection with Kaliningrad Region - August 2002 participation of a Gdynia representative in meetings on SEBTrans-Link project that took place in: Karlskrona - in February, March 2003, February, May, August 2005, Kaliningrad/Baltijsk - in October 2005, Klaipeda - in March 2003, February 2004, July 2005 and Stockholm - in November 2005study visit of North Jutland representatives (experts on environmental protection) referring to environmental protection strategy in the municipality - June 2003 visit to Gdynia of the representatives of Kristiansand local authorities concerning further co-operation between Gdynia and Kristiansand - May 2004 study visit of the President of Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association in Gdynia concerning new projects proposed by the Association - May 2004 visit of representatives of the Karlskrona local authorities, under the leadership of Mr. Mats Johansson, Mayor of Karlskrona - June 2004 study visit to Karlskrona of Gdynia representative concerning thermal solid waste utilisation - June 2004 visit to Gdynia City Hall of the employees of Green Areas Division of Karlskrona City Hall. The aim of this visit was to exchange experiences connected with the development of municipal green areas - September 2004 participation of Gdynia and Kristiansand representatives in the Polish-Norwegian conference in Warsaw, entitled: "EEA and Norwegian Financial mechanisms: A New Area of Co-operation between Norway and Poland" combined with presentations on co-operation of both cities - October 2004 participation of the Gdynia City Hall representative in the conference in Kiel, entitled: "Port Restructuring as a Chance for Urban Development" - November 2004 visit to Gdynia ot the Syndicat Mixte de la Côte d'Opale (SMCO) delegation consisting of representatives of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk. During the stay a series of meetings with various institutions and firms from Gdynia took place - November 2004 visit of an official delegation of Kiel City Hall headed by the Chairman of Kiel City Council aimed at discussing the celebrations of 20th anniversary of twin cities cooperation - January 2005 Study visit of Kaliningrad Region administration concerning a discussion about the possibility of economic cooperation - January 2005Participation of Gdynia in the "Cruise Baltic Project": January 2005 - participation of Klaipeda City Hall representative in a meeting in Gdynia; May 2005 - participation of Gdynia City Hall representative in a meeting in KlaipedaVisit of Gdynia City Hall and Gdynia City Council representatives to Kristiansand concerning a discussion about joint projects - May 2005 Visit of Seattle Business Executives, Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association and US Embassy in Warsaw as well as Seattle authorities within an economic mission - May 2005Cooperation between the City Halls of Gdynia and Klaipeda in realization of a project entitled "Improvement in water purity of the Baltic Sea"- meeting in Klaipeda - June/July 2005study visit to Karlskrona TELECOM CITY of the representatives of Gdynia City Hall and Pomeranian Science and Technology Park - September 2005 visit of the delegation of Ukrainian Uzhgorod representatives. The aim of the visit was to familiarize the guests with local self-government, creation of civil society, municipality management, as well as determination of cooperation areas in connection with the planned signing of an agreement - September 2005visit to Gdynia of the city authorities of Haikou, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, finance office as well as representatives of the tourist sector. Signing the letter of intent concerning mutual cooperation; study visits to Gdynia companies which cooperate with Far East - September 2005study visit of the representatives of the Norwegian research companies SINTEF, Gode Sirklar AS and the Hordaland region - signing a letter of intent on cooperation and implementation of joint projects in the field of local governance, industry and education - October 2005participation of the representatives of the UBC member cities in the seminar on trolleybus systems as well as in the Annual Meeting of UBC Commission on Transportation in Gdynia - October 2005visit of Gdynia delegation to Haikou. The delegation took part in study visits to the Special Economic Zone and Hainan Port Navigation Holding Co. - April 2006participation of Gdynia City Hall representatives in the conference in Klaipeda on neighboring cooperation - June 2006participation of the representatives of the UBC member cities in the Annual Meeting of UBC Commission on Transportation in Gdynia, entitled: "Integration of Transport Systems in the Baltic Europe" - September 2006study visit to Gdynia of the representatives of Karlskronahem housing company aimed at experience exchange with TBS "Czynszówka" sp. z o.o. - April 2007study visit of municipal transport representatives from Aalborg concerning the public transport in Gdynia - May 2007participation of Gdynia representative in the information meeting Baltic-Link Association in Karlskrona - June 2007visit of the Canadian ambassador concerning the possibility of establishing the cooperation between Gdynia and Canadian companies - February 2008participation of Kaliningrad City Hall representatives in the International Economic Forum in Gdynia - May 2008study visit of the German ThyssenKrupp company concerning the potential investements in Gdynia - July 2008study visit of the representatives of the self-government authorities of the city of Rustavi (Georgia) within the project "AIA - social dimension of the economy of the city and region of Rustavi" - June 2009economic mission of the Swedish entrepreneurs from the Blekinge Region - May 2010study visit of the head of the City Gardener's Office to Kiel. The subject of the visit was the town planning and planning of the urban greenery - April 2011Trainings trainings of Municipal Hospital employees in Derriford Hospital in Plymouth - 1991training of employees of the Municipal Social Care Centre in Kristiansand. The training referred to social help issues - 1993training of an employee of the Gdynia City Hall Gardener's Office in the Green Area Office in Kiel - 1997training of the Head of the Economic Development Department of the Klaipeda City Hall. The subject of the training was creating the strategy of development of Gdynia. The training was carried out in Gdynia by the representatives of the Urban Planning and Development Office of the Gdynia City Hall - May 1998 Modern Dance workshops in the Musical Theatre in Gdynia, led by Mr. Rip Parker, professor of modern dance at Washington University in Seattle - August 19984th Baltic University of Dance with participation of dance celebrities from the United States, Sweden, Israel and Poland. One of the participants was professor of dance at Washington University in Seattle, Rip Parker, invited by Gdynia City Hall within the cooperation with the sister city - Seattle - August 1999study visit of accounting and budget specialists from Gdynia in Karlskrona - November 2000 training of accounting and budget specialists in Kiel - May 2001 study visit of representatives of the Gdynia City Hall in the rescue notification centres - January 2002 study visit of Gdynia City Hall specialists on the budget to Kiel. The visit was connected with budget planning - November 2002 participation of municipal officers from Kaliningrad in the training in Gdynia entitled "Public Utilities Management in the city" - September 2004 study visits of NGO representatives, Youth Co-operation Centre from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus concerning the experience exchange in the field of self-government and the programme of co-operation with NGOs - April and November 2005 participation of Kaliningrad and Klaipeda City Hall representatives in the 2nd Seminar within the RAINNET project - September 2007study visits to Gdynia of self-governments' representatives from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia concerning the activities of the local self-government - October and November 2007study visit of the young leaders of non-governmental organizations from Belarus, Ukraine and Moldovia - April 2008study visit of Seattle police representatives at the Gdynia Police Headquarters - September 2008three study visits of self-governments' representatives from Ukraine concerning the activitiy of the local self- government - September, October and November 2008study visit to Gdynia of the employees of the departments on European programmes from the City Halls of Rustavi and Tbilisi (Georgia) - September 2009 study visit of the representatives of non-governmental organisations from Russia within the project "Towards the friendly neighbourhood" - April 2010study visit to Gdynia of the Vilnius City Hall representatives within the experience exchange concerning activities of District Councils - April 2011Education and Sport visit of 43 headmasters of Gdynia primary schools to Karlskrona, Aalborg and Kiel, in order to get them introduced to the basic rules of education system in Sweden, Denmark and Germany - 1993study visit of a group of 15 librarians from Gdynia to Karlskrona - September 1998study visit of headmasters of Gdynia vocational schools in Chapmanscholan to Karlskrona - 1999organisation of International Methodological Conference of Gdynia's Sister Cities by the Gdynia City Hall Education Department The subject of the conference was: "Children starting school education and their difficulties in learning how to read and write" - 1993 Twin Cities Sporting Competition - has been organized in Gdynia since 1993. This annual event is attended by the youth from European Twin Cities of Gdynia (the record breaking numbers of participants /450 and over 500/ were registered in 1997 and 2006). During the Competition the accompanying events with the participation of pupils from Gdynia schools are organized (for example art exhibitions, gymnastics shows, sport and recreation picnics). The yearly organization of the Competition is an undertaking of Gdynia local authorities aiming at integration of the Gdynia youth with the youth from European twin cities of Gdynia. Since 1999 during the Twin Cities Competition a European Race has been organized. All participants of the Competition together with inhabitants and local authorities have participated in the Race. Up to the year 2012 twenty editions of the Twin Cities Sporting Competition have been organized. meeting in the Gdynia City Hall with 25 students and their tutor from Chapmanscholan in Karlskrona (Sweden). During the meeting there was a short presentation about Gdynia and the representative of the Education Department informed about educational system in Poland. Swedish students received promotional materials on Gdynia - April 2000visit of representatives of the Karlskrona City Hall Education Department to Gdynia. The aim of the visit was the assessment of the mutual co-operation - June 2001study visit of primary and junior secondary school teachers from Marienstad (Sweden) to Gdynia. During this visit a presentation about Gdynia was made and the teachers were introduced to the Polish educational system - June 2001Study visit of the Swedish specialists on Technology Parks. The visit was connected with the development of new technologies in Gdynia - September 2001training of 25 teachers from Gdynia primary schools within "Safe Life" programme which was organised in Gdynia City Hall in cooperation with Swedish Civil Defense League and Fire Brigade Headquarters in Warsaw- December 2002 second stage of teachers' training within "Safe Life" programme which took place in Karlskrona - March 2003 visit to Gdynia of vocational education representatives from Törnströmska Gymnasiet, concerning the programme of vocational training exchange - February 2004 study visit of the Association of Poles in Latvia, representatives of the City Hall, teachers and pupils from Liepaja - May 2004 participation of Gdynia representative in the exchange concerning vocational education - Tornstroemska Gymnasiet, Karlskrona - September 2004 visit of primary and secondary school headmasters and the representatives of Liepaja City Hall Educational Department to Gdynia - April 2005study visit of the Gdynia City Museum employee to the Historical Aalborg Museum - August 2005 study visit of the Gdynia City Library employee in the municipal libraries of Aalborg and region - August 2005 visit of Klaipeda City Hall representative to Gdynia concerning Klaipeda Days in Gdynia planned for 2006 - September 2005 participation of Gdynia City Hall and Council representatives in the opening of the sports arena "Vodafone Arena Rosenholm" as well as in a working meeting of the UBC Commission on Sport - October 2005 study visit to Gdynia of Education Department representatives of Karlskrona City Hall aimed at getting acquainted with the education system in Gdynia - March 2006 visit of students and teachers from Chapmanskolan within the exchange with School Complex No. 2 in Gdynia - April 2006participation of the representatives of UBC member cities in the Annual Meeting of UBC Commission on Sport in Gdynia, entitled: "Active Lifestyle" - May 2006 visit of the representatives of Sports Department of Kristiansand Municipality within the cooperation with Gdynia Sport Centre - May 2006participation of Gdynia representatives in the meeting in Karlskrona concerning Baltic cooperation in the field of sport - February 2007participation of Gdynia representative in the Annual Meeting of the UBC Commission on Sport in Karlskrona - April 2007meeting with the representatives of the Sports Department of the City of Karlskrona concerning the cooperation within the UBC Commission on Sport - February 2008 visit of students and teachers from Leonardo da Vinci Secondary School in Calais (France) within the school exchange with the Secondary School No. 2 in Gdynia - February 2008visit of students and teachers from Chapmanskolan in Karlskrona (Sweden) within the school exchange with the Secondary School No. 2 in Gdynia - February 2008visit of Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association representatives concerning the organisation of Gdynia Business Week - May 2008 study visit of the representatives of the Trade Union of Cyprus Teachers - September 2008visit of representatives of the City Hall of Karlskrona aimed at discussing the educational project - December 2008visit of students and teachers from schools participating in the Socrates Comenius Programme (England, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary) carried out in the cooperation with the Junior Secondary School No. 4 in Gdynia - March 2009visit of students and teachers from Karlskrona within the school exchange with the Secondary School No. 2 in Gdynia - March 2009visit of students and teachers from Sweden, Italy and Romania within the school exchange with the Junior Secondary School No. 17 in Gdynia - April 2009visit of teachers from Sweden, Spain, Holland and Turkey within the experience exchange with the Junior Secondary School No. 2 in Gdynia - May 2009visit of students and teachers from Italy, Romania and Turkey (Socrates Comenius Programme) within the school exchange with the Complex of Economic and Administrative Schools in Gdynia - June 2009visit of Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association representatives referring to the organisation of Gdynia Business Week - August 2009visit of teachers from France, Italy, Finland and Ireland within the cooperation with the Primary School No. 18 in Gdynia - October 2009study visit of the employees of the City Hall of Vasteras (Sweden) concerning the experience exchange in the field of financing the educational system - November 2009visit of students and teachers from Calais (France) within the school exchange (Socrates Comenius Programme) - February 2010vsit of students and teachers from Karlskrona (Sweden) within the school exchange (Socrates Comenius Programme) - March 2010visit of Seattle-Gdynia Sister City Association representatives aimed at discussing the organisational details of Gdynia Business Week 2010 - March 2010visit of students and teachers from Dunkirk (France) within the school exchange (Socrates Comenius Programme) - June 2010visit of the students and the teachers from the school Chapmansgymnasiet to Gdynia within school exchange with 2nd High School in Gdynia - May 2011visit to Gdynia of the youth and teachers from the Chapmangymnasiet school within the school exchange with the Complex of Schools for General Education no. 2 in Gdynia - April 2012visit to Gdynia of the youth and teachers from Gemeinschaftsschule Friedrichsort within the school exchange with the Complex of Schools for Refrigerating Engineering and Electronics in Gdynia - April 2012Social matters visit of Swedish specialists in the Municipal Social Help Centre within the SALIDA programme (1995) visit of a group of 13 Aalborg residents from UPV association - Unge Pensionister I Veejgaard - in the Day Care Centre (May 1998) visit of representatives of the Swedish Navy and the delegation of the Hyperbaric Medicine Ward of the Hospital in Karlskrona. The visit was organised within the cooperation with Gdynia Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine (Hyperbaric Medicine and Sea Rescue Department) (October 1998) visit of a group of 28 people - delegation of Board of Seniors from the sister city of Aalborg. The aim of the visit was presentation of Gdynia institutions of social help. The guests visited the Day Care Centre, the Elder Persons' House of Permanent Stay and the House of Help for the Chronically Ill (September 1999) representatives of Karlskrona, Kiel, Aalborg, Klaipeda, Baranovichi and Seattle took part in the UBC "Without Limits" Conference organised in Gdynia - September 2002 organisation of charity concerts of Katherine Griffin, an American pianist in Gdynia (September 2002) and in Seattle (June 2003). The concerts were held in aid of Children's Home in Gdynia Demptowo study visit of representatives of FOA trade union (organisation associating specialists on health care and social welfare) to Gdynia - May 2003 visit of a group of young people from Gdynia Special Educational Centre no.2 to Kiel. The visit took place in the course of "Kieler Woche" and was organised at the invitation of Kiel Association for Promotion of Polish Culture - "Polonus" - June 2003 performances of Dannish Orchestra of Seniors - Aalborg Pensioner Orchestra for the inhabitants of Municipal Welfare Centres and Old People's Homes in Gdynia - September 2003 participation of Gdynia representatives in "Easy Access" conference on the disabled held in Kristiansand - September 2003participation of the representatives of Karlskrona City Hall, Kristiansand City Hall and Aalborg Handicap Advisors Board in Gdynia conference entitled "The role of self- government in job activation of people with disabilities" - May 2005visit to Gdynia of a group of carers from the "Ringåsen Bolig" centre for autistic persons and the mentally ill from Kristiansand. The guests paid study visits to Day Activity Centre, Professional and Social Activation Centre for Autistic Adults as well as to Children's Home in Demptowo - April 2006study visit from Karlskrona (Sweden) concerning the vocational development of women - May 2009 Opublikowano: 27.07.2007 00:00 Autor: Monika Pawlińska (m.pawlinska@gdynia.pl)