The 26th European Accountancy Week (EAW) took place from March 9 to 14, 2026 at the University of Girona in Spain. The EAW is an annual event organized by the ETAP (European Taxation and Accounting in Practice) network, which brings together accounting and finance students from various European universities to exchange professional and cultural ideas. This year, a total of 103 students and 25 lecturers from 17 European universities took part.
We were divided into international groups a few weeks before the week began. Each group consisted of students from four different countries. In these teams, we worked together before the trip on a financial analysis of a company, which we had to submit before the week began. This created an initial exchange within the groups in advance, which made it easier to work together during the week.
The journey to the EAW was organized by all participants themselves. We decided to travel by plane. We were picked up at the airport by the so-called "nannies", who then took us to the hotel where all the participants were accommodated during the week. The week began with getting to know the other students for the first time.
The program officially started with the Opening Ceremony, where the individual universities briefly introduced themselves. Each delegation had prepared a small presentation for this. This quickly gave an impression of which countries and universities the participants came from. This was followed by a cultural game in which the teams had to solve tasks together. The Tasting Ceremony also took place in the evening: Each delegation brought typical specialties from their home country, which were then tasted together. Right from the start, this led to many conversations and a very pleasant atmosphere among the participants.
After this introduction, the academic part became more of a focus in the following days. The lecture days were structured in a similar way: First, the theoretical content on assets, liabilities and equity was presented in a lecture, before we were then able to apply this directly in our international groups in workshops. This mixture of theory and practical work made it easier to understand the content and learn from each other at the same time.
In addition to the academic program, various cultural activities took place on the respective days. On Tuesday, for example, we visited the university in Girona and then took part in a guided tour of the old town. We also had the opportunity to try the regional specialty xuixo. On Wednesday, we visited a winery including a wine tasting. Afterwards, we were also introduced to the traditional regional sport of human towers, which is an important part of Catalan culture.
Thursday was another day of intensive group work. In the morning, we continued to work on our financial analysis and prepared a presentation. We then presented this to the professors on Friday. In the afternoon, we also received a presentation from the company Bio Iberica, which was very interesting and informative and gave us exciting insights into the company. After the work-intensive part, we ended the day with a meal together with the other students and the nannies.
Degree of the week was the Closing Ceremony on Saturday. Various prizes were awarded there, including for Best Team Spirit, Best Presentation and the Most Professional category. In addition, a film with impressions from the entire week was shown, capturing many of the shared moments.
It was a week full of special experiences and impressions that will make it unforgettable. Many new contacts were made during this time and initially unfamiliar faces quickly turned into familiar encounters. By the end of the week, it felt as if we had known each other for much longer. For us, the European Accountancy Week was therefore a real highlight of our studies. We can only recommend that every student try this experience for themselves. In addition to the specialist content, you take away many new impressions, international contacts and shared memories.
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who made this week possible. Special thanks go to Prof. Dr. Axel Kihm and the supervising Master's student Israa Salameh, who supported us during the organization, preparation and implementation. We felt very well looked after and in good hands at all times. We would also like to thank the nannies, who were always on hand, accompanied the activities and contributed with a great deal of commitment to making this week such a special experience for all of us. Without them, the EAW would certainly not have been what it was for us.
Authors: Ilka Frech and Olivia Kolodziej
Pictures: Anne Vanmaercke
