Experiences
UBS, Zurich, Switzerland
Accounting & Finance International Studies Program
Part 1 - Finance, French & Fun
As we greeted each other at the departure lounge at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne, there was an irrepressible air of excitement in anticipation of what was to be a few weeks of education, adventure and sightseeing with 34 other Monash University students, travelling through 6 cities in 5 European countries. Together with Associate Professor Carolyn Windsor and lecturer Roger Love, our small group of undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students were presented with the opportunity to embrace the culture and ambiance of Rome, Interlaken, Zurich, Brussels, Paris and London.
London, United Kingdom
The Accounting and Finance International Study Program consisted of a 3-week itinerary beginning mid-January 2008 and was planned around a series of business visits designed to provide students with an insight into the ideologies, strategies and operations associated with some of the world’s most influential organisations. Before leaving Melbourne, student groups were assigned to one of the 11 regulatory and governmental bodies being visited, with each group preparing an intelligence report to assist their peers prior to each business visit.
Jungfraujoch, Switzerland
Our time travelling abroad was not all spent making business visits – we certainly made sure that our education was adequately balanced with extra-curricular activities so we would come home having at least scratched the surface of Europe’s fascinating history and culture. Of the nations we passed through, the majority of us attempted to adapt to Italian, Swiss-German and French speaking environments (some much better than others) – and simple everyday activities such as ordering food, shopping and asking for directions were a challenge, with plenty of potential to twist into an embarrassing, albeit amusing, incident.
Colosseum, Rome, Italy
The tour also provided ample time for sightseeing, including an amazing visit to the Colosseum and Vatican museums (Sistine Chapel), a romantic river cruise down the Seine to take in the wonderful sights and sounds of Paris, and a grand tour to Her Majesty’s Windsor Castle. Some meals had also been pre-arranged, and we enjoyed lunch at the breathtaking Summit Restaurant, situated at Jungfraujoch, within the Bernese Alps in Switzerland (otherwise known as the Top of Europe). In between visiting the sights and making business visits, students explored the cities at their own leisure.
On the whole, the 3 week affair provided a fantastic blend of experiences for all, with student delegates joining the tour from different cultural backgrounds and life experiences. Undergraduates were able to quiz postgraduates about being part of the workforce, while postgraduates re-lived their undergraduate days, socialising with those much closer to the culture of full-time Monash University life. It was also an opportunity for postgraduates to network and share ideas, with participants joining the tour with backgrounds in banking, lending, information technology and risk management industry lines.
David in Paris!
In part 2 (next issue), fellow postgraduate traveller, Matthew Teasdale, will reflect on the academic benefits of the study tour.
