Educational project
International Audit Week
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Training with the Big Four, international case studies, and networking: for one week, Lugano became the capital of auditing, bringing together students from all over Europe in an experience that combined professional skills and cultural exchange.
From November 16 to 20, 2025, Lugano hosted International Audit Week, a week of training and networking that brought together students from five universities in four different countries.
The program offered participants a comprehensive learning experience: keynote speeches by industry professionals, business case studies, networking sessions with international companies, and opportunities for intercultural exchange. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with representatives from some of the world's leading auditing firms, including KPMG and Ernst & Young, who entrusted them with real-life case studies to work on in teams.
In addition to technical training, the week was enriched by cultural activities exploring the Ticino region, creating opportunities for informal sharing among participants.
Simone Benagli, a student on the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program, took part in the week alongside three of his classmates and tells us about his experience:
“Participating in Audit Week was a truly interesting experience for my educational journey. As a student majoring in Accounting & Controlling, I had the opportunity to see much of the theoretical knowledge I had acquired during my years of study applied in the field. Working on the Parmalat case, analyzing the accounting data and the dynamics that led to the well-known financial fraud, allowed me to deal with the real complexities of analysis and control work in a concrete way.
In particular, it was very stimulating to have to identify, within the case study, the critical areas, hidden costs, and anomalies in the financial statements, putting myself in the shoes of a controller called upon to assess the economic and financial situation of a company. The fact that I only had a few days to develop a structured analysis and prepare a final presentation made the activity even more realistic and closer to the professional dynamics encountered in the world of work.
Another aspect that I really appreciated was the international dimension of the experience: I had the opportunity to work and interact with students from different countries, such as South Africa and the Netherlands, discovering working methods, cultural approaches, and points of view different from my own. This exchange enriched not only my technical skills but also my soft skills, such as the ability to collaborate in diverse teams, communicate effectively, and adapt to new contexts.
Despite the commitment required alongside my classes, Audit Week was a valuable opportunity to test myself, connect theory and practice, and better understand what my future role in the professional world might be. I believe that activities of this kind are fundamental within the Bachelor's program because they allow students to develop a critical and operational approach that is difficult to acquire through theoretical study alone.”