Overview

<>As the Head of the Department of Environmental Safety, Dr Edit Kaszab coordinates basic and applied research activity in the fields of environmental microbiology, molecular biology, ecotoxicology, environmental safety, and environmental protection, with a special focus on the environmental drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Her expertise covers the cultivation, enrichment and comprehensive characterization of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms originating from various environmental matrices in accordance with the One Health approach of the WHO She plays a significant role in the organization and planning of the education activity of the Institute and teaches at BSc, MSc and PhD levels.>As the Head of the Department of Environmental Safety, Dr Edit Kaszab coordinates basic and applied research activity in the fields of environmental microbiology, molecular biology, ecotoxicology, environmental safety, and environmental protection, with a special focus on the environmental drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Her expertise covers the cultivation, enrichment and comprehensive characterization of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms originating from various environmental matrices in accordance with the One Health approach of the WHO She plays a significant role in the organization and planning of the education activity of the Institute and teaches at BSc, MSc and PhD levels.
Research keywords:
agro-environmental processes, renewable energy, social aspects of circular economy transition, climate resilience, climate adaptation, environmental policy integration, regional development, urban development

Publications

Sustainable Development
Varjú, V. (2022). The policy transfer of environmental policy integration: path dependency, route flexibility, or the Hungarian way? Policy Studies, 43(5), 943–961. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2021.1882670

Varjú, V. (2020). Environmental policy integration and its success on settlement level in Hungary. DETUROPE: Central European Journal of Tourism and Regional Development, 12(3), 13-36. https://doi.org/10.32725/det.2020.020

Circular Economy
Essoussi, W., Pércsi, K. N., Ujj, A., Jancsovszka, P., & Varjú, V. (2025). Drivers of sustainable consumption: An empirical analysis of consumer attitudes, knowledge, and social pressures. Sustainable Futures, 10, 101509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101509

Varjú, V., & Óvári, Á. (2024). Challenges of applying circular economy principles in urban planning practice in Pécs (Hungary). Planning Practice & Research, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2024.2349465

Varjú, V. (2025). From fork to farm, locally: social acceptance pathways for human excreta-derived fertilisers across three European regions. Socio-Ecological Practice Research, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-025-00236-x

Obersteg, A., Arlati, A., Acke, A., Berruti, G., Czapiewski, K., Dąbrowski, M., Heurkens, E., Mezei, C., Palestino, M., Varjú, V., Wójcik, M., & Knieling, J. (2019). Urban Regions Shifting to Circular Economy: Understanding Challenges for New Ways of Governance. Urban Planning, 4(3), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v4i3.2158

Dąbrowski, M., Varjú, V., & Amenta, L. (2019). Transferring Circular Economy Solutions across Differentiated Territories: Understanding and Overcoming the Barriers for Knowledge Transfer. Urban Planning, 4(3), 52-62. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v4i3.2162

Varjú, V., Óvári, Á., Mezei, C., Suvák, A., & Vér, C. (2022). Efforts and barriers shifting a city region towards circular transition–Lessons from a living lab from Pécs, Hungary. Future Cities and Environment, 8(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5334/fce.157

Governance
Dąbrowski, M., Varjú, V., & Amenta, L. (2019). Transferring Circular Economy Solutions across Differentiated Territories: Understanding and Overcoming the Barriers for Knowledge Transfer. Urban Planning, 4(3), 52-62. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v4i3.2162

Varjú, V., Mezei, C., & Vér, C. (2020). Local resource-based development potential as reflected in waste management/circularity transition: Governance barriers in Hungary. European Spatial Research and Policy, 27(2), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.18778/1231-1952.27.2.06

Climate Change
Grünhut, Z., Varjú, V., & Bodor, Á. (2023). Climate Concern and Pro-Environmental Behaviour in the Light of Trust. Sustainability, 15(19), 14430. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914430

Yuval-Davis N, Meier I, Rosen R and Varjú V (2023) Press discourses on ecological crises in the UK, Israel, and Hungary. Front. Sociol. 8:1186410. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1186410

Renewable Energy
A. Brandis, D. Pelin, M. Žnidarec and V. Varjú, "Performance Analysis of Switching Techniques for Induction Motor Drives and Experimental Verification with Smart Didactic System," 2018 International Conference on Smart Systems and Technologies (SST), Osijek, Croatia, 2018, pp. 1-6, https://doi.org/10.1109/SST.2018.8564588

Varjú, V. (2021). Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe-Changes and Reasons of Renewable Energy Support Schemes. http://real.mtak.hu/id/eprint/185901
Yuval-Davis N, Meier I, Rosen R and Varjú V (2023) Press discourses on ecological crises in the UK, Israel, and Hungary. Front. Sociol. 8:1186410. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1186410

Projects

H2020 REPAiR

The project aimed at supporting decision makers at peri-urban level in the circular economy transition by conducting a living lab and providing GIS-based supporting tool (GDSE).

https://h2020repair.eu

P2GreeN

The project aim is to develop, test and adapt the use of human sanitary waste to produce safe, bio-based fertilizers for agriculture. It also focuses on the socio-economic aspects of the innovation.

https://p2green.eu/

Dr. Viktor Varjú
Institute of Rural Development and Sustainable Economy
Campus address: H-7400 Kaposvár, Guba Sándor str. 40.
varju.viktor@uni-mate.hu
varju.viktor@uni-mate.hu
MTMT: 10015532
Scopus: 54796211300