Research and development activities of the Department of Economics

FESSUD (fessud.org): FESSUD (2011-2016) is a cross-social science multidisciplinary project that investigated how the financial sector can respond to the needs of the economy, society and the environment. It focused its analysis on the “financialization” process, which amplified the real economic effects of the 2007-2008 Global Financial Crisis. There were 15 European higher education and research institutions involved, including the University of Pannonia. The Hungarian team, led by Szabolcs Szikszai, prepared comprehensive situation reports on the Hungarian financial system and on some key financial submarkets.

Szabolcs Szikszai and Magda Andrea Nagy, members of the department, investigated in a research group setting the financial awareness of university students. They used a questionnaire survey to analyse the financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of young people.

Studies were carried out on the methodology of university rankings. For example, an analysis was done about the impact of the number of programmes launched by universities on the international ranking positions of higher education institutions.

One of the department’s lecturers is involved in a project aimed to map the interconnections between European power exchanges, electricity pricing and renewable energy sources. Among other things, the impact of an increase in the volume of renewables used on electricity market prices is analysed. The effect on price volatility of storage usage is also examined.

The members of the Department analyse the links between credit rating agencies and stock markets, with a particular focus on the relationship between credit ratings and bond markets.