Poznań City Hall’s archive, photo. A. Susicka

In 2017, the Metropolitan City of Bologna, the capital of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, joined the group of Poznań’s foreign partners.

Poznań’s contacts with metropolises in Europe and worldwide serve to strengthen the position of Wielkopolska’s capital domestically and internationally, and to improve the quality of life of its residents. The network of international contacts enables, among other things, mutual tourist promotion and exchange of good practices and experience on the functioning of the city
and its units.

In 2017, the City of Poznań:

continued its cooperation with 13 twin cities and the county of Nottinghamshire
established cooperation with the Metropolitan City of Bologna in Italy.

Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, one of the richest and most developed regions in Europe, which the Wielkopolska Region has been cooperating with for many years. It is an academic city, a centre of industry, trade, business, and culture. Bologna was a partner of Poznań in 2 projects concerning urban development, i.e. “CCnet. Cities of Change – Cooperation of Cities in the Field of City Development” and “Gen – Y City. Get into the swing of the City!” as part of the EU’s Urbact programme, as well as in the field of urban logistics and the development of clean public transport.

Apart from local governments, Poznań and Bologna-based universities, research and development institutions, as well as schools cooperate with each other.

In 2017, the Mayor of the City of Poznań allocated a total amount of PLN 100,000 in the form of so-called “small grants”, i.e. grants awarded pursuant to Article 19 of the Act of 24 April 2003 on Public Benefit and Volunteer Work to co-finance projects in the area of cooperation with twin cities implemented by non-governmental organisations. Twelve projects, mainly covering young people, were implemented in the field of cultural, sports, and scientific exchanges.

In 2017, the most intensive cooperation concerned 10 cities:

Assen (Netherlands)

In 2017:

a study visit of Assen’s representatives on the organisation of mass events took place in Poznań.
the project “Rozwój zrównoważony i polityka energetyczna. Teoria i praktyka realizacji. Studium porównawcze Poznania i Assen” (“Sustainable development and energy policy. Theory and practice of implementation. Comparative study of Poznań and Assen”), carried out by the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists, was financed as a part of small grants. The Association organised a trip to Assen for a group of students and employees of the Poznań University of Economics and Business, who took part in seminars with representatives of Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV and Duurzaamheidscentrum in Assen. During the meetings, the results of research carried out as part of the diploma theses of students of the Faculty of Economics of the Poznań University of Economics and Business and the research work of the Food Economy Student Research Club were presented.

The Metropolitan City of Bologna (Italy)

In 2017:

The Poznań City Council adopted a resolution on establishing cooperation with the community of the Metropolitan City of Bologna. The partnership agreement between Poznań and the Metropolitan City of Bologna provides for the exchange of experiences and good practices as well as the implementation of projects in the field of economy, innovation, city management, tourism and sport, culture, science and education, social policy, environmental protection and energy.
Giuseppe De Biasi, Chief of Cabinet of the Metropolitan City of Bologna, visited Poznań to take part in the City Development Forum in Poznań as a participant of the international debate “Jak wykorzystać potencjał miasta? Współczesne przestrzenie dla jego rozwoju w przyszłości” (“How to use a city’s potential: contemporary spaces for its future development”).

Brno (Czech Republic)

In 2017:

the Brno delegation participated in the “Days of Czech Culture in Poznań” organised by the City of Poznań, the Raczyński Library, and the Poznań University of Technology. The programme included workshops for children, exhibitions, an author’s meeting, a jubilee concert and a screening of films for the hearing impaired made by a director from Brno
a study visit of Brno City Councillor Zdeňka Dubova together with a delegation on senior policy took place in Poznań. the delegation from Brno reviewed Poznań’s programmes and initiatives for the elderly and for building intergenerational links
a delegation from the City of Poznań and the Trakt Centre for Cultural Tourism presented Poznań’s tourist offer at the Regiontour International Fair for Regional Tourism in Brno
Brno’s representatives presented their tourist offer at the Tour Salon Trade Fair of Regions and Tourist Products 2017 in Poznań
representatives of the Poznań City Hall participated in the international conference hosted in Brno “Ageing and intergenerational relations” – concerning elderly care, effective ways of improving the quality of their lives, activities aimed at activating and including the elderly in the life of local communities and building lasting intergenerational bonds
a representative of the Poznań City Hall met with a group of headmasters of schools and kindergartens from Brno during their study visit to Poznań. The meeting was devoted to changes in the education system in Poland, education and care for students with specific educational needs and students from the so-called problematic environments.
The following were implemented from small grants:
- “Brno Live Message” project by the Poznań-based Fundacja “Talent”, the foundation organized a trip for young hip-hop dancers from Poznań and their coordinator to Brno
- the project “Udział poznańskiej delegacji w Dniach Kultury Polskiej w Brnie” (“Participation of the Poznań delegation in the Days of Polish Culture in Brno”) by the “TAMiTU” Foundation, the aim of which was to participate in the event organised by non-governmental organizations and representatives of the Raczyński Library, the Publishing House of the City of Poznań, the Ethnographic Museum, Branch of the National Museum in Poznań, the Adam Mickiewicz University, and the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Poznań. A delegation of the Poznań City Hall also visited Brno. The participants of the trip gave lectures or performed an artistic program.

Kharkiv, Ukraine

In 2017:

kharkiv representatives participated in the Tour Salon Trade Fair of Regions and Tourist Products 2017 in Poznań
representatives of the Poznań City Hall participated in the 4th International Kharkiv Marathon; the marathon participants also took part in a meeting with the running club in Kharkiv and got acquainted with the organisational and logistic solutions applied at the marathon in Kharkiv.

Győr (Hungary)

In 2017, the 17th Book Fair was held in Győr, attended by a delegation from Poznań, with the aim of promoting publications from Poznań.

Hannover, Germany

In 2017:

The Mayor of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak, at the invitation of the Mayor of Hannover Stefan Schostok, took part in the Hannover Messe Fair.
The following were implemented from small grants:
- the “SWATKA – poznańsko-hanowerska giełda partnerstw sportowych” (“SWATKA – Poznań-Hannover Sports Partnerships Exchange”) project of the Poznań Academy of Development, with the participation of 45 Poznań residents aged from 10 to 50, including contestants, coaches and animators of sports and active recreation; participants of the project went to Hannover to meet with local sports enthusiasts and animators and took part in integration classes combined with learning German, including specialist sports vocabulary
- the project “Wymiana kulturalna z miastem partnerskim Hannover w ramach Międzynarodowego Dnia Muzyki – Fête de la Musique 2017” (“Cultural exchange with the partner city of Hannover as part of the International Music Day – Fête de la Musique 2017”) by the Good Time Foundation from Poznań, which included the organisation of performances by the Poznań-based RusT band at the “International Music Day Fête de la Musique 2017” festival in Hannover; according to the information received by the foundation from the organiser, the performance of the Poznań-based band was watched by approximately 2-3 thousand spectators
- the project “Hanowerski Brazzo Brazzone oraz Jazz Band Brno koncerty w Poznaniu” (“Hannover’s Brazzo Brazzone and Jazz Band Brno concerts in Poznań”) by the Wielkopolskie Stowarzyszenie Jazzu Tradycyjnego (“Wielkopolska Traditional Jazz Association”) – Dixie Club, which organised performances of Brazzo Brazzone and Jazz Band Brno during the 10th Poznań Old Jazz Festival
- the “Let’s dance in HANNOVER – projekt wymiany młodzieży miast partnerskich” (“Let’s Dance in HANNOVER – Youth Exchange of Partner Cities”) project by the Ewa Johansen “Talent” Foundation. As part of the project, young dancers from Poznań, practising 4 modern dance styles, took part in a cultural and educational exchange in Hannover; the Foundation invited German youth to visit Poznań again in 2018.
- the project “Koncert Dixie Company i Moniki Lewis USA w Jazz Club Hannover” (“A concert by Dixie Company and Monika Lewis USA in Jazz Club Hannover”) by Wielkopolskie Stowarzyszenie Jazzu Tradycyjnego – Dixie Club, which promoted Poznań and Poznań’s music milieu in Hannover
- the “Twin Cities Music Fest 2017” project of the Good Time Foundation, which organised the first edition of a series of concerts aimed at strengthening musical cooperation between Poznań and Hanover, including performances by bands and artists who attended the Fête de la Musique festival in Hannover. The aim of the project was to transfer the atmosphere of the Hannover festival to Poznań and to promote Fête de la Musique in Hannover.

Kutaisi (Georgia)

In 2017:

the Kutaisi delegation participated in the Tour Salon Trade Fair of Regions and Tourist Products 2017 in Poznań
a delegation from the Poznań City Hall took part in the Kutaisi City Day, as part of the “Gviriloba” festival. The Poznań delegation, together with numerous other delegations from twin towns, regional authorities, and diplomats, attended an official meeting with the Mayor of Kutaisi and the authorities of the Imeretia Region.

Ra’anana (Israel)

In 2017:

In Ra’anana, an exhibition of photographs from the collections of Andrzej Niziołek (co-author of the book “FIRA. The Jews of Poznan. A Story about Life”), Prof. Dr Rafał Witkowski from the Adam Mickiewicz University (author of the book “The Jews of Poznan: A Brief Guide to Jewish History and Cultural Sights”) and Waldemar Wylegalski, a photographer of “Głos Wielkopolski”, were presented. The exhibition presented the life of the Poznan Jewish community from the time before World War II to the contemporary activity of the Poznan Branch of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland. The exhibition was organised by the City of Poznań in cooperation with The Castle Cultural Centre and the Poznań Branch of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland.

Rennes (France)

In 2017, the following were implemented as part of small grants:

the project “Regaty wioślarskie z okazji 150-lecia Towarzystwa Regat w Rennes” (“Rowing races for the 150th anniversary of the Regatta Society in Rennes”) by the Wielkopolska Association of Rowing Societies. A trip from the Poznań-based AZS clubs – AWF and KW04 ľ to the international rowing competitions and youth exchange to Rennes was organised. Young people from Poznań were accompanied by the authorities and staff of the Wielkopolska Association of Rowing Societies. A delegation from the City of Poznań also visited Rennes to exchange experiences with representatives of Rennes on sports policy, in particular on the functioning of municipal institutions and sports facilities, as well as on the organisation of major international events and to get acquainted with the assumptions and objectives of the housing policy of the City of Rennes, on the example of the new districts of La Courrouze and Brasserie st Hélier (in post-industrial areas) and the 1960s district of Le Blosne (example of infrastructure and social revitalisation).
the project “Szkice miejskie – rezydencja artystyczna i wystawa w Poznaniu Etiou – rysownika z Rennes” (“City sketches – Etiou’s art residence and exhibition in Poznań – a graphic artist from Rennes” by the Poznań-Ille et Vilaine Foundation, which included the organisation of an artistic residence in Poznań for Etienne Fichaux, working under the pseudonym Etiou, a graphic artist from Rennes. On the day of the French national holiday, Dom Bretanii hosted the opening of an exhibition of drawings by Etiou, presenting the drawings made in Poznań and a series of drawings from Rennes. Then the exhibition was presented in Rennes, in several public places. The project will culminate in an artistic residency planned for 2018 for the graphic and sketch artist from Poznań in Rennes.
the project “Poznań – Rennes. W tanecznym kręgu” (“Poznań – Rennes. In a Dance Circle”) by the Poznań-Ille et Vilaine Foundation involving open and free workshops of Breton dances, among others from Rennes and its surroundings. The workshop was led by Tristan Gloaguen, the director of the cultural association “War’l Leur” and an experienced teacher of Breton dances. Nearly 60 people took part in the workshops. On the International Music Day, the workshop’s tutor and its participants organized a flash mob in the Old Market Square.

Shenzhen (China)

At the invitation of the City of Shenzhen, a delegation from the City of Poznań took part in the 19th China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, the largest modern technologies trade fair in China. The City of Poznań presented the investment potential of Poznań at a stand prepared in cooperation with representatives of the City of Shenzen. Promotional materials on Poznań were distributed in Chinese. Representatives of the City of Poznań also had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Huawei and meet with the company’s management.

Other events, contacts:

Kyiv (Ukraine)

In 2017:

a delegation from the City of Poznań visited Kiev in connection with the launch of a direct air connection between Poznań and Ukraine’s capital. During his visit, the Mayor of Poznań met with the Mayor of Kyiv, with whom he spoke about the possibilities of attracting investors and supporting entrepreneurs. The delegation from Poznań participated in the Student Day at the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design
representatives of the Poznań City Hall participated in the Kyiv Invest Forum concerning the directions of development for Kyiv The topics of this edition of the forum included the future of Kyiv as an international destination for tourism, as well as investments in urban tourism infrastructure.

Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

In 2017:

a delegation from the Poznań City Hall took part in the international business forum “Industry 4.0” in Plovdiv concerning the development of cyberspace and the business applications of modern technologies
representatives of the Plovdiv City Hall participated in the City Development Forum in Poznań.

Takasaki (Japan)

In 2017:

Poznan was visited by an official delegation from the Japanese city of Takasaki, whose aim was to discuss the possibilities and directions of cooperation. During the discussions with the City’s authorities, it was initially agreed that cooperation could be established in the field of youth sports and educational exchanges and exchange of experiences on the organisation of international sports events, as well as on the promotion of physical exercise and active, healthy lifestyles. It is also planned to organise a student exchange and a performance of a choir from Takasaki in Poznań
another study visit of Takasaki’s representative to Poznań on the system of tax collection and cultural policy in Poznań took place.
a group of runners from Takasaki also came to Poznań to take part in the 18th PKO Poznań Marathon.

Basel and Lucerne (Switzerland)

A delegation from the City of Poznań visited the Swiss cities of Basel and Lucerne. The topics of the visit included: cultural and sporting policy of the city, especially the functioning of the Lucerne Regatta and organization of important rowing events, revitalization of the river in the city, public transport, and mobility.

Nigeria

In 2017:

Poznań was visited by a delegation of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission together with representatives of the Polish And Nigerian Trade And Investment Forum Pontif and the Center For Polish and African Affairs at the Poznan College of Communications and Management. During the meeting, the guests expressed their willingness to establish contacts between Nigerian and Poznań-based companies, as well as presented possible areas of cooperation and the idea of organising a business and investment forum in Poland
a study visit of representatives of the regional government of Irepodun, Nigeria took place. Guests were introduced to the City’s development strategy, budget, housing policy, social policy, support for business, and cultural activities.

Opening of a joint Polish and Chinese research centre and a Polish-Chinese inter-university conference in Poznań

The Mayor of the City of Poznań Jacek Jaśkowiak met with the representatives of authorities form Beijing, Chongqing and Tianjin universities, who came to Poznań for the opening of the New Silk Road International Joint Research Centre and for the Conference of Polish and Chinese Universities organized by the Poznań University of Technology. The guests listened to presentations on the development, and entrepreneurship of Poznań as well as its academic nature. Topics of discussion included cooperation between Polish and Chinese cities in the area of economic, scientific, and educational cooperation.

European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels

A representative of the Poznań City Hall participated in the debate “European cities implementing global programmes” as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels. The debate was also attended by representatives of Barcelona, Copenhagen, Hannover, Liverpool,
and Malmö The main topic of the discussion included sustainable development objectives.

Visit of a delegation from the Khmelnytskyi City Hall to Poznań

Representatives of the Khmelnytsky City Hall, Ukraine, took place in the Poznań City Hall. The purpose of the visit was to learn functioning of Poznań’s economy.