Dr. Péter Merza

Peter Merza graduated in 1999 at the University of Pécs as a geography-, English language and literature secondary school teacher and as a tourism manager. After graduation he started his PhD studies at the Faculty of Sciences in the Doctoral School of Earth Sciences, where he dealt with spatial/territorial development and European regional policy. He defended his PhD thesis – titled ’The Utilization of the EU Development Funds in the Social-Economic Modernization of South Transdanubia’ – with summa cum laude qualification in 2006. In 1999 he started working at first as a civil servant responsible for EU affairs at the Municipality of the City of Pecs, later as a head of office at the Baranya County Government. In 2006 he became the general manager of the Pecs Development Company, a public company responsible for the elaboration and management of city development projects and programmes. From 2008 he became the director responsible for the realization of the infrastructure development projects of the Pecs2010 – European Capital of Culture programme at the Pecs2010 Management Centre Plc. From 2011 until 2019 he was the CEO of the Pecs Urban Development Company, where he was responsible for the programming and the elaboration of the projects of the 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 EU financial schemes, as well as investment promotion and developing the local economy of the City of Pécs. In 2019 he started working at the Faculty and since 2020 he has been working as a full-time assistant professor. His courses are related to his work experiences in project planning and development, business communication, as well as local economic development and circular transition.