Orsolya Lukács and Márk Szalay, students of the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics of Széchenyi István University, successfully participated in the 24th International Accounting Week in Lódz, Poland, where nearly 90 students from 15 European countries competed in teams of four. Their instructor, Dr. Katalin Borbély, successfully prepares the participants year after year. Their participation was supported by the University's Erasmus+ mobility programme.

In 2016, Széchenyi István University joined the European Taxation and Accounting in Practice, which recently organised its 24th International Accounting Week, this time in Lódz, Poland. The Győr-based institution was represented this year by two students of the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics, Orsolya Lukács, majoring in Tourism and Hospitality, and Márk Szalay, majoring in Business Administration and Management, together with their lecturer, Dr. Katalin Borbély, Associate Professor. Orsolya and her team achieved a great success: she was awarded first place in the category of report analysis.

The event is held annually in different countries and member institutions, for example, four years ago it was hosted by Széchenyi István University. The organisation has member institutions from 15 European countries and aims to enhance the practical relevance of accounting education, to promote international exchange of students and teachers, and to raise awareness of the basic requirements of international financial reporting standards. During the one-week accounting week, participants attend lectures and workshops in English in mixed nationality teams. This will be preceded by several weeks of online teamwork and intensive training to master the English language and gain insights into the English accounting standard.

Dr Katalin Borbély, Márk Szalay and Orsolya Lukács took part in the competition in Lódz, Poland.

"It is a great pleasure to have talented and motivated students join this programme every year, who successfully participate in international teamwork. It gives them the opportunity to learn the basics of the profession in a foreign language, which is essential for an economist today and gives them an excellent foundation for the labour market. The event will also increase their professional and personal openness", underlined Dr Katalin Borbély, Associate Professor at the Department of Statistics, Finances and Controlling of Széchenyi University,the trainer of the participants.

"Accounting Week was an excellent opportunity to build international contacts, as we met young people from many nations. It was a great experience for me to be able to use my language skills in such an environment. In addition to professional development, the event also offered exciting cultural activities and was an experience of a lifetime.  I would encourage my fellow students to take advantage of the international opportunities offered by the university and to get involved, as they will have many good memories and experiences to share," said Orsolya Lukács, who made friends with French students from her team.

Márk Szalay feels that the practical orientation of the programme and the fact that he was able to learn the international accounting standard is very important. "The teamwork was a great feedback for us that we have solid accounting knowledge in the international field and that we have stood our ground with the knowledge we gained at Széchenyi University, which has now been expanded with international accounting. In the competition, we looked for answers to practical challenges, made presentations in English and made financial decisions - experiences that any economist can definitely use in the labour market later on," said the third-year student.

Orsolya Lukács and Márk Szalay are proud to represent Széchenyi István University at the prestigious international competition (Photo: András Adorján)