Simon Thies is a PhD student at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. He recently concluded his visit at Tilburg University.
During my visit, I had many interesting conversations with inspiring and supportive researchers that significantly helped me develop my projects. The reading group and the accounting research seminars provided a great opportunity to learn about current research topics and to witness diverse perspectives on research projects. Together with several colleagues, I also attended the Junior Accounting Meetings (JAM) Conference in Amsterdam that allowed me to interact with the Dutch accounting research community even beyond Tilburg University. At the end of my visit, I had the opportunity to present one of my papers in a brown bag seminar. The feedback from my colleagues in Tilburg helped me a lot in further developing the corresponding project, particularly regarding the overall argument of my paper.
In addition to these rather research-related aspects, the visit was a great social experience. Very friendly and supportive colleagues, a unique PhD community, daily lunches together with many colleagues, as well as nice office mates and neighbors are just a few aspects to mention in this context.
I would like to sincerely thank all members of the Department of Accountancy for their warm welcome and for making my visit an exceptional experience. Moreover, I would like to express my gratitude to the EAA for supporting this invaluable experience and for organizing the PhD visit scheme. Overall, my visit was a great success for me. I have learned a lot and feel that I have grown both personally and as a young researcher.
Find more information regarding the PhD Visiting Scheme on our website. Starting next year, we will have 6 scholarships in total (1,000 EUR each) to award – 3 scholarships per deadline. Please note that the next deadline is 29 February 2024!