Péter ReményiCV
Péter Ottó Reményi was born in 1978 in Pécs. He attended secondary school in JPTE Babits Mihály Gyakorló Gimnázium in Pécs. In 1996, he finished in 8th place at the National Secondary School Academic Competition in the subject of Geography. That is why he continued his studies next year at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Sciences Institute of Geography. Two years later he also started to study history at the same university. In the year 2000, he spent a semester at Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal via ERASMUS scholarship. As university student he was teaching assistant (demonstrátor) in geographical research. In 2002, he earned a teacher’s degree specialised in the field of urban studies. As Ph.D. student at the Doctoral School of Earth Sciences he won Prinz Gyula Award for Young Scientists in 2004.
Mr. Reményi has been assistant lecturer (tanársegéd) at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Sciences Institute of Geography since 2005. Subjects taught: political geography, regional policy, development of small regions, project management, municipal heritage, historical and political geography of the Balkans, regional geography of the Balkans, organiser and leader of several field practice programs to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the last four years he has taught regional development at the Illyés Gyula College Faculty in Szekszárd. He also took part and coordinated several projects of the faculty, e.g. development of the specialisation called Regional development, Research on Ormánság, LHH-project, High ability education program. He has been one of the main organisors of the biggest Hungarian political geography conference called Hungarian Political Geography Conference for five years.
His field of research is the relationship of the changes in political geography and settlement network, especially in the Balkans. He is also interested in historical geographic problems of the Balkans and ethnical problems of the Germans of Hungary. Mr Reményi joined several regional development programs of the region and the county as expert. He is deputy director of foreign affairs at the Eastern-Mediterranean and Balkan Research Centre at University Pécs and the editor of Balkans Bulletin published by the centre.
Mr. Reményi is member of the Hungarian Geographical Society and the Balkans workgroup of the HAS’s (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) Regional Committee in Pécs. He passed the language exam in English (level B2) and in German (level B1).
Abstract
Ethnic homogenization as a major consequence of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia
The changes in ethnic structure are considered as a major consequence of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Millions of people had to abandon their homes causing mass migration flows throughout the region another huge number of people changed their ethnic affiliation (Yugoslavs). Comparing the ethnic changes of various territorial units is an important element of ethnic researches not only the region but all the areas where such changes happened (e.g. Rwanda). An objective tool measuring such processes however had not been developed yet. In our presentation we introduce a mathematical formula thought to be useful in research the ethnic homogenization. Using it for the various territorial levels of former Yugoslavia (country, federal units, subnational units, municipalities etc.) gives us an opportunity to compare the changes within same level territorial units across the region and between different levels of territorial units. Several important statements can be set up by using the method regarding the ethnic changes of the former country. Typical areas can be distinguished, general tendencies can be observed and atypical areas can be identified with the help of the formula. All this processes can be followed by different territorial levels, focusing on the ethnic changes of the settlement system of the region.