Interview with Petra Mezulic Juric - International Teaching Week

She teaches courses in Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Management, and Business Transfer in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Most of her students would probably never guess that she is a die-hard Eurovision fan. Tuning in every year like a ritual, she admits to almost never being happy with the winner, even though she confesses to not being such a great singer herself. 

A Familiar Place with a Rich Academic Life

Petra is no stranger to Hungary or Pécs. She visits regularly, both privately and with students. Every year, she brings a group of students from Osijek to the Simonyi International Hackathon at the University of Pécs, an event she describes as having a truly multicultural atmosphere. For her, the university feels like a great place to study, and she regularly encourages her own students to spend a semester here. She appreciates the rich cultural life of Pécs, and the fact that it is just an hour’s drive from Osijek makes it an easy and familiar destination. Unlike someone visiting for the first time, Petra already knew the rhythm of the city and the university. That familiarity, she notes, only deepened her positive impression.

Teaching and Mentoring at UP FBE

During the teaching week, Petra worked with students in two courses: Small Business Management and Development and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. In the Small Business Management course, she gave a lecture on business transfers in SMEs—a topic she researches closely. She was pleased to find the students highly engaged, asking thoughtful and interesting questions well after the lecture ended. In the Entrepreneurship course, she took part in mentoring sessions where students developed and tested their minimum viable products (MVPs). What stood out to her most was watching international student teams work on ideas that could genuinely address real problems in their home countries. For Petra, that was not just impressive—it was a reminder of why she enjoys teaching entrepreneurship in the first place.

Highlights of the Week

Looking back, Petra describes the International Teaching Week as a very well-organized event. Professionally, the key highlight for her was the chance to share teaching experiences with colleagues from different countries, especially during the Experiential Learning workshop she participated in. She also notes that many of the contacts she made during the week will strengthen international collaboration and help her further develop the courses she teaches back in Osijek. Personally, she valued the balance between teaching, networking, and social activities—a mix that made the week productive but not overwhelming. 

One Suggestion for the Future

When asked for feedback, Petra offered one thoughtful suggestion: continue fostering informal spaces for interaction between visiting teachers and local staff and students. These moments, she explains, are extremely valuable for building long-term collaboration. It is a small point, but one that speaks to her broader belief that real academic exchange happens as much in hallways and over coffee as it does in lecture halls.

Looking Forward

For Petra, the International Teaching Week was not a first visit but a continuation of an ongoing relationship with Pécs and the University of Pécs. She came back because she values the multicultural atmosphere, the engaged students, and the serious but friendly academic environment. She leaves with new contacts, fresh ideas for her courses, and a clear hope to participate again.

And somewhere in the background, probably, she is already thinking about next year’s Eurovision winner—and why it will likely be the wrong choice again. 

Simiyu Abigael Simuli