On 13 May 2025, the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF) held a PKF Award Ceremony to present the PKF Audit & Conseil (PKF) Fellowships to Lola Paul and Muhammad Ahmad Aziz, both students in the Master in Accounting and Audit.
The event began with a warm welcome from Prof. Arnaud Dupuy, Full professor in regional and international economics and Vice-Dean of FDEF. Prof. Dupuy highlighted the success of the PKF Fellowship that awards top-performing first-year Master in Accounting and Audit students with a scholarship and an internship at PKF.
Prof. Dupuy, Vice-Dean of FDEF
In his speech, Prof. Dupuy praised the fellowship as a bridge between academia and industry, highlighting its benefits for both students and PKF. He emphasised the shared values of the University and the firm – honesty, respect, transparency, and knowledge sharing. Continuing his remarks, Prof. Dupuy announced that starting in 2025, the PKF award will recognise the top student at the end of the second year of the Master’s programme, further deepening the collaboration between the Faculty and the firm. He expressed gratitude for PKF’s ongoing support, saying:
‟ We are pleased that PKF continues to place its trust in our students and the quality of their training.”
Vice-Dean of FDEF
“You could go to almost any country in the world…”
After the welcome speech, Mr. Jean Medernach, Partner at PKF, addressed the students and the Faculty members. He began by providing an overview of the audit profession in Luxembourg, noting that despite its significant scale, there are currently very few interns. He cited this gap as a clear indicator of the significant opportunities and growing demand in the audit profession. Therefore, Mr. Medernach highlighted the importance of the Master in Accounting and Audit programme and its diploma, which he described as a pathway to global opportunity: “You could go to almost any country in the world…”
Mr. Jean Medernach, Partner at PKF Audit & Conseil
In this context, Mr. Medernach also outlined the evolving collaboration between PKF Luxembourg and the University of Luxembourg. He mentioned that this partnership includes an annual award for the top-performing first-year student, guest lectures within the Master programme, and, starting this year, a new prize for the best second-year student to be presented at the FDEF Partnership Event in November.
As the event concluded, Mr. Medernach expressed his gratitude to the Faculty members for their ongoing support. He congratulated Lola Paul (2024 fellow), who is currently completing her internship with PKF, and welcomed Muhammad Ahmad Aziz (2025 fellow).
“I felt supported by my colleagues from day one”
Next, Lola Paul shared her experience from her current internship with PKF. She began by expressing her gratitude for being awarded the fellowship and for the opportunities it provided. Ms. Paul explained how the internship allowed her to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world, working with various clients and experiencing different stages of the audit process.
The 2024 fellow also emphasized the importance of teamwork at PKF, stating, “I felt supported by my colleagues from day one”. Ms. Paul credited her growth, both professionally and personally, to the constructive feedback she received. She concluded by thanking her colleagues and everyone who made this fellowship possible, saying, “It has been a truly valuable experience. I’m eager to see what comes next.”
Lola Paul, student in the Master in Accounting and PKF Scholarship recipient 2024
Following welcome speeches, the ceremony was closed by Prof. Thomas Kaspereit, Associate Professor of Financial Accounting and Study Programme Director of the Master in Accounting and Audit, who thanked PKF for support and congratulated his students.
The cocktail reception that followed provided an opportunity for students and faculty members to connect with PKF representatives and discuss potential future collaborations.
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According to the three-year agreement, signed in June 2022, the student with the highest grade point average at the end of the first year of the Master in Accounting and Audit will be given the opportunity to complete a fellowship programme with PKF. The fellowship programme includes a stipend, paid in two instalments, to support the student during his or her final academic year. The student who has received the fellowship will also be invited to participate in the accompanying internship programme within PKF’s Audit Department. In the event that the student cannot participate in the internship, another student from the Master’s programme will be selected.