International Study Tour 2010-11…what a success!

The School of Accounting, Economics and Finance 2010/11 International Study Tour was a great success. Seventeen undergraduate and post graduate students, accompanied by tour leaders Liz Manning and Di Thomson, travelled to Hong Kong and Europe for 21 days in January this year. Key institutions visited included the European Central Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organisation and the Bank of International Settlements. The group learned about the origins of, reactions to and proposed future preventative actions for the global financial crisis, along with some extremely interesting presentations about Australia’s position in world economic and trade negotiations. Private organisations ING and Skoda were also visited. On free days a fabulous time was had by all sightseeing  and doing lots of shopping in Paris, London, Prague, Frankfurt, Geneva, Basel and Hong Kong.

Group photo in the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission building

As one student commented:

"The AEF International Study Tour was a great success . . .  we have gained exposure to and understanding of other markets and different cultures. This helps us to better understand the theory that we have been taught through the years of study, and develop a better understanding of how some institutions conduct their business both at a micro and macro-economic level. In addition, having spent time in different countries and cultures, we gained a better awareness of opportunities that are present. Visiting central banks and other international organisations, where some presentations were tailored specifically to better educate us, made this a great investment in our future professional lives."