As every year, a delegation of FEBA students set off for the European Accountancy Week, which this time took place from March 11th to 16th in the city of Lodz, Poland. The aim of the European Accountancy Week is not only to deepen knowledge of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and financial analysis but also to gain practical experience working in international teams. The experience gained at this event is highly significant for students: participants spent the entire week intensively studying, participating in practical sessions, solving tasks and case analyses with students from other top European universities, and presenting financial results of companies to potential investors in an attempt to attract new investments, and more. The 24th European Accountancy Week was attended by representatives from 17 institutions from 15 countries including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Finland, Hungary, and Germany.
It's no wonder that there were many candidates eager to represent the faculty. This time, along with Prof. Dr. Alfreda Šapkauskienė, head of the Finance Department at VU FEBA, ETAP network member, and one of the EAW organizers, the faculty was represented by Ieva Lipskytė (Accounting and Audit, 3rd year), Matas Udrėnas (Quantitative Economics, 1st year), Evija Buraitė (Accounting and Audit, 4th year), Justina Venckutė (Finance Branch of Economics Program, 3rd year), Aistė Dirginčiūtė (Economics and Finance, 2nd year), Prakash Jirel (Accounting and Audit, 3rd year).
Prof. Dr. Alfreda Šapkauskienė doesn't hide her pride in this year's VU FEBA team. Out of seventeen teams, the faculty's team won the 2nd place for the best institutional presentation. In other tasks, out of twenty-two teams, Evija Buraitė's team, composed of representatives from Lithuania, Belgium, and Portugal, received two 1st place awards - for the most professional team and cultural game. Ieva Lipskytė's team (Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands) was one of the four teams awarded for the best financial presentation and won the 2nd place for the cultural game - twenty-two teams participated in this task. In non-team tasks, out of 88 participants, Ieva Lipskytė won the 4th place, scoring 91 points out of 100 in the individual test.
Students don't hide that the European Accountancy Week is a significant challenge that requires not only knowledge, motivation, and enthusiasm but also endurance and the ability to step out of the comfort zone - after all, the program is indeed intensive but, at the same time, rewarding all efforts. "You can experience so much in one week: meet people from various cultures, listen to professors from different European universities who bring their unique teaching styles, learn about the history, culture, and life of the country and city (in our case - Lodz, Poland), expand your knowledge to an international level," shares Evija Buraitė.
Matas Udrėnas, the youngest representative of the VU EVAF delegation, is glad that although, as a freshman, it took some effort to integrate initially, lectures and teamwork helped him feel more confident every day.
Ieva Lipskytė considers the opportunity to apply existing knowledge in practice as the most significant part of the European Accountancy Week.
Justina Venckutė is pleased that cooperation with students from different countries taught tolerance, leadership, showing that all tasks are achievable when working together.
Aistė Dirginčiūtė greatly appreciated the opportunity to listen to lectures by professors from various European universities and examine their prepared tasks, encouraging critical thinking and personal development: "It was an unforgettable experience, allowing both to expand academic knowledge and establish new international connections."
The members of the VU FEBA delegation identify the diversity of the event - lectures, meetings, teamwork, cultural activities - as its greatest advantages. "All of this ensured the opportunity to feel how differently various cultures perceive accounting, how perspectives differ," says Prakash Jirel. However, participants also emphasize that encountering different views and knowledge led them to delve into deeper layers of the issues studied: everyone returned looking at accounting more broadly.
Congratulations to the professor and students!
