The 23rd European Accounting Week took place in Kortrijk, Belgium, bringing together students and lecturers from 16 higher education institutions in 14 European countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, France, Germany, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Vilnius University Faculty of Economics and Business Administration was represented by Prof. Dr. Alfreda Šapkauskienė, Head of the Department of Finance, as well as by six students from the Bachelor's degree programmes in Economics and Finance, Accounting and Auditing, and Business Information Systems: Salvius, Charlotte, Deira, Ilona, Andrius and Arūnas.
As Lithuania celebrated its 33rd year of independence on 11 March, at the closing ceremony of EAW'23, Vilnius University students were awarded the highest honors for their knowledge, competences, professionalism and leadership in international teams," says Prof. Dr. A. Šapkauskienė. Symbolically, EAW'23 is like one of the symbols of freedom, enabling students and the academic community to move freely between countries, to study and work in collaboration with more than 120 participants from different European universities, says Prof. Alfreda Šapkauskienė, a member of the ETAP network, which has been organizing the European Accounting Week together with partner universities for 23 years.
The institutional presentation by Vilnius University Faculty of Economics and Business Administration students Salvius, Charlotte, Deira, Ilona, Andrius and Arūnas was selected as the best among 16 university delegations and was awarded 1st place.
The international team of Deira Puišytė, a third-year student in the Accounting and Auditing programme, won the most awards. Twenty-three teams, each consisting of members from different countries, studied intensively throughout the week, took part in practical sessions, solved IFRS and financial analysis problems and case studies, presented financial results of companies to potential investors to attract new investments, etc. At the end of the week, Deira Puišytė's team won 1st place in the most important category "Most Professional Team". Deira's team came 2nd in the second most important category "Best Financial Analysis". The team also came 2nd in the "Cultural Game" category.
Deira, a third-year student in the Accounting and Auditing programme, is happy that the week was full of excitement, deepened her knowledge of IFRS, and put what she had learned at university into practice during the week. It was great fun to get to know the other EAW participants and their culture, to overcome the language barrier and to work together in an international team. Deira assures that the event’s motto "Work hard, play hard" really means that. In addition to learning, the student also got to know Belgium, socializing with students from different EU universities and having fun in the evenings. Deira highly recommends all VU FEBA students take the opportunity to represent their university and expand their knowledge and contacts.
The team of fourth-year students of the Economics and Finance programme, Salvius Jasiūnas, came 2nd out of 23 teams in the most crucial category "Most Professional Team" and 1st in the category "Best Presentation". Prof. Dr. A. Šapkauskienė, Head of the Department of Finance, points out that although the most important goal of the EAW is not to compete, but to gain experience and learn to work in different cultural teams, whose members have diverse professional competencies, social and communication skills, and varying levels of professional English language skills, at the end of the week the students also take an individual exam. Salvijus Jasiūnas, a fourth-year student in the Economics and Finance programme, achieved an impressive result, coming 4th out of more than 90 students in the "Best Individual Test" category.
Sharing his impressions, Salvius was also very happy to have made the decision to attend EAW 2023. This annual event surprised the student with its quality, as the information prepared according to international financial reporting standards was unheard of. Working in groups of students from different countries made them realize that each person is unique and carries with them not only their personal beliefs but also their culture, so in today's world it is extremely important to be able to not only play to one's own strengths but also to create a working atmosphere where everyone can contribute and feel that they are a part of something. Representing Vilnius University in Belgium also gave Salvius the opportunity to have a good time and meet students from other countries and make lasting friendships. For Salvius, this is a great experience and he invites everyone who is hesitant to take part to not be afraid of the challenge and participate.
Ilona, a third-year student in the Accounting and Auditing programme, shares her impressions and has no doubt that EAW is definitely worth it. Although she was a bit hesitant before taking part, not knowing if she had enough knowledge, she realized that challenges can be overcome by working in a team. Ilona gained professional knowledge not only from the lectures but also from her team members, developed her problem-solving skills, broadened her knowledge of English, and made new and interesting friendships while at EAW'23. She liked the fact that EAW focuses not only on theoretical knowledge but also on social and cultural activities. Ilona Regina Šumkovskytė and her team took 3rd place in one of the most important categories, "Best Financial Analysis", and were very happy to have had the opportunity to participate in this week.
Charlotte, a second-year student in the Economics programme, has no doubt that being part of EAW'23 has given her the experience of working in an international team, with students from different backgrounds and speaking different mother tongues, which has allowed her to improve her spoken and professional English, broaden her tolerance, improve her time management and her decision-making. Although Charlotte said that her team did not win any laurels, it was a pleasure to work with and get to know the team members, and she would definitely recommend them to her friends.
Andrius, a third-year student in the Accounting and Auditing programme, considers EAW'23 to be an amazing experience as he not only learnt to account in English but also visited 4 cities during the week: Brussels, Kortrijk, Ypres and Bruges. But according to Andrius, the most important thing was the wonderful people from different cultures and the new acquaintances he made with them. The student also pointed out that at the end of this event, a certificate is awarded, which is a very good addition to a person's CV and he would definitely recommend it to any accounting/finance student.
Arūnas, a second-year Business Information Systems student, considers the EAW Week in Belgium a unique experience that he would also recommend to all students who like challenges. According to Arūnas, during the week, the participants have to learn academic and professional competences such as accounting, analytics, the management or leadership skills, but the week also focuses on improving social skills, making international friends and creating lasting memories. The event is also characterized by its high quality, which participants can experience through lectures or seminars, professional advice or academic insights, as well as an engaging informal touring (or informal) programme, which is blessed by the event's motto: "Work hard, play hard!"
It is worth mentioning that EAW'23 was funded by the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), a short and intensive learning and training programme for students and staff, which uses innovative learning and teaching methods, including online collaboration," points out Prof. Dr. Alfreda Šapkauskienė. Preparing and delivering the content of the programme, the innovative and relevant lectures and seminars requires a full year of intensive work by the ETAP network's teachers, including the necessary ongoing activities and online lectures. However, the overwhelming student satisfaction with EAW is a testament to the meaningfulness of the efforts made," says the professor.
