Ambassador of Guatemala Visits GMU as Honorary Consulate Opens in Gdynia
17.09.2026 | 2 min. czytania
On 17 September 2026, Gdynia Maritime University was visited by Sandra América Noriega Urízar de Kugler, Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala to Poland. The meeting at the Faculty of Navigation provided an opportunity to present the University's activities and its experience in training personnel for the maritime economy. The visit took place on the day of the inauguration of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Guatemala in Gdynia.
On behalf of the Rector of Gdynia Maritime University, Professor Adam Weintrit, Her Excellency was received by Professor Joanna Kizielewicz, Deputy Rector for International Cooperation.The meeting was also attended by Dr Adam Kaizer, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Navigation for Student Affairs and Promotion, and Rafał Machowiak, Secretary General of the Polish Chamber of Maritime Commerce.
The programme of the visit also included demonstrations presenting the practical dimension of education at GMU. A presentation in the Antoni Ledóchowski Planetarium was delivered by Faculty of Navigation student, Ada Lewandowska. Master Mariner Paweł Kołakowski demonstrated how the navigation simulator is used to train future merchant navy officers.
On the same day, the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Guatemala opened in Gdynia. Liliana Poszumska, a resident of Gdynia and founder of the La Mancha Spanish Language Centre, took up the post of Honorary Consul. The inauguration ceremony was held in the evening at the Gdynia City Museum, with the GMU Rector represented by Deputy Rector Joanna Kizielewicz.
Potential areas of cooperation with Guatemala primarily include maritime education, safety of navigation, and port logistics. The Escuela Naval de Guatemala provides training for the needs of merchant shipping, ports, and fisheries, among others. Guatemalan port institutions also implement staff upskilling programmes and develop cooperation in training with foreign partners.
The alignment of these fields with GMU's profile highlights possible avenues for future cooperation: simulator-based training, the exchange of teaching expertise, and research into navigation safety and port operations. Cooperation could also encompass study visits, joint workshops, and student and academic staff mobility.
The presence of the consulate in Gdynia may facilitate establishing contacts between universities, institutions, and enterprises of both countries, as well as support the search for partners for joint research, educational, and economic initiatives.
