Promoting the Profession
A roundup of news from the global community
October/November 2017Whether you travel the world or never leave your home country, you are affected by global organizations, international requirements and the increasingly international nature of the actuarial profession itself. Here is some news from around the world.
The SOA Meets With Faculty in China
On July 5, a Society of Actuaries (SOA) faculty roundtable meeting was held at the Kerry Center in Beijing, China. SOA Past President Harry Panjer, FSA, CERA, FCIA, HonFIA, PhD; Senior Staff Fellow Stuart Klugman, FSA, CERA, PhD; and SOA Lead China Representative Jessie Li, FSA, attended the roundtable meeting. Fifteen professors from 10 universities were invited to participate in the discussion and exchange ideas about actuarial education. Steve Zhang, general manager of MunichRe Greater China, also participated as a special guest.
Klugman and Panjer led the discussions with the professors, which covered a variety of topics, including how to strike a balance between developing technical and business skills, and how to incorporate analytics into the curriculum to prepare students for exams and future jobs. The professors shared their experiences and challenges regarding actuarial teaching and research. Professor Xiaojun Wang and Steve Zhang gave a short speech on behalf of the SOA China Committee. They encouraged professors to work closely with the SOA and to reach out to the SOA for collaboration opportunities.
The 8th China Risk Management and Actuarial Forum
The SOA participated in the China Risk Management and Actuarial Forum (CRMAF) on July 8 at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, China. The event included more than 200 faculty members and industry experts, and 100 UIBE students. SOA Lead China Representative, Jessie Li, FSA, acted as the moderator in a concurrent session held in the afternoon.
The CRMAF is an annual academic event jointly organized by 14 universities and colleges on a rotational basis. The conference included one plenary session in the morning and six concurrent sessions in the afternoon. In total, there were 51 sessions and 69 speakers, including two speakers from overseas. During the plenary session, the president of UIBE gave a speech and the dean of insurance faculty presented the 2017 China Actuarial Science and Risk Management Report.
CRMAF was initiated by professor Xiaojun Wang from Renmin University, professor Zhuo Zhi from Shandong University of Finance and Economics and professor Xie Zhigang from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, after they attended and were inspired by the 29th South African International Congress of Actuaries. The forum’s goal is to promote risk management and actuarial education, support the development of the actuarial profession and enhance cooperation among colleges and industry.
Next year, the 9th CRMAF will be held at Shandong University of Finance and Economics in Jinan, China.
Latin America Committee to Meet in Bogotá
Representatives from the Latin America Committee (LAC) will attend the 6th International Actuarial Symposium in Bogotá, Colombia, Oct. 26–27, held by the Colombian Association of Actuaries (Asociación Colombiana de Actuarios). This is the main actuarial event in the country, and it is attended by actuaries, statisticians, risk professionals and actuarial students. Among the agenda topics are predictive analytics, risk management and regulation. In addition to the symposium activities, on Oct. 25 there will be a Professionalism Course, and on Oct. 28 there will be specialized short courses on interest rate models and predictive modeling.
This is a great opportunity to join together, network and learn about the latest developments in our profession. Special registration prices for students are available.
The LAC was formed in late 2016 to promote the actuarial profession in Latin America and foster closer relationships in the area through joint projects. For more information on the LAC, read the May 2017 issue of International News, published by the International Section.
Copyright © 2017 by the Society of Actuaries, Chicago, Illinois.