A blend of extraordinary site visits and thought-provoking classroom lectures provided students in the Lundquist College of Business's Master of Accounting program with a crash course in the differences between European and American accounting practices during their recent study tour in the Netherlands.
This is the third year running that the college has provided this opportunity to students in the one-year graduate program. Unlike previous years, when the students made the trip in mid-December, this year's trip was scheduled for spring break, so participants enjoyed longer daylight hours and milder weather. MAcc Program director Robin Clement and Department of Accounting administrative manager Margaret Savoian accompanied the group.
The campus of Nyenrode Business University—complete with castle, deer park, and maze—was the group's home base in the Netherlands. During their five jam-packed days, the students attended lectures and presentations on campus and visited a range of well-known companies. They also managed to squeeze in some sightseeing, with visits to Amsterdam, the town of Breukelen, and a stroll around Kuekenhof, the world's second-largest flower garden.
Encounters with four alumni during the week showed the MAcc students that global careers are well within the realm of possibility. UO-Nyenrode Case Competition winner Scott Salazar "14—currently pursuing a graduate degree in management at Nyenrode—shared his take on the nitty-gritty of studying abroad.
Courtney Kern Keating "05, MActg '06, facilitated a site visit to Nike European Headquarters that included a session with Bart Boekraad, CFO for Nike Europe.
On their last day, MAcc students wrapped up their time in the Netherlands by breaking into two-person teams to prepare presentations on the topics they learned about during their week.