Description: In the past few years, SoA members and leaders have raised questions about future needs for actuarial skills, globalization of markets, and the appropriate focus of the present education system in preparing actuaries for their professional futures. As a consequence of these questions, the SoA Board of Governors set aside a major portion of its January 1994 meeting to discuss the education of actuaries, with primary consideration being given to a longer horizon than the immediate future. Chris Daykin, representing the Institute of Actuaries, reported that the Institute was incorporating fundamental changes to its basic Education and Examination [E&E] system. These changes were aimed at focusing more on fundamental principles and away from details of practice.

Description: This is a presentation by Society of Actuaries President, Anna M. Rappaport, at the 1998 Actuarial Research Conference. It is about the challenges facing actuaries and what the SOA is doing to help. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1999 Vol. 1.

Description: The study of Employee Benefits has always been aided by using financial algorithms. During recent semesters, the Lotus 1-2-3 package Lotus has been introduced to students due to the explosion of its use in the business community. This paper will show how our students use Lotus to design a spreadsheet for computing minimum annual distributions from tax-sheltered plans.

Description: This paper contains the results of a survey which show that computer skills have appeared to become a more important part of the hiring process. From the Actuarial Research Clearing House 1997 VOL. 1

Description: This is a thank you note sent out by Sarah Christiansen of the Principal Financial Group and Stuart Klugman of Drake University for the opportunity of hosting the 34th Annual Actuarial Research Conference. The Conference was held Aug. 8-11, 1999, in Des Moines, Iowa. The theme of the conference, jointly sponsored by Drake University and The Principal Financial Group, was building bridges between theory and practice. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 2000, Vol. 1.

Description: This is the agenda for the 31st Annual Actuarial Research Conference held in Muncie, IN, August 15-17, 1996.

Description: This 1997 presentation from the 32nd Actuarial Research Conference provides background on the work of the Society of Actuaries' Research Effectiveness Task Force [RETF] and presents the current status of that work in order to set the stage for breakout sessions during which Conference attendees have an opportunity to provide input to the SOA research effectiveness review.

Description: Actuarial literature in the twenty-five years includes discussions of a well known inequality. Among the recent papers on various aspects of this classic result are those by Berin 1970, Olson 1975 and Sarason 1960. A standard method for achieving this inequality uses Jensen's inequality. This is the method used by Bowers, et al 1983. We will also employ this method in an attempt to learn about it.

Description: Two breakout sessions were held. Their goal was to explore ways in which researchers and practitioners could be brought closer together. The following summaries were edited by Stuart Klugman from notes taken by the indicated participants: Session #1 - Bridging the gap with regard to modality and morbidity and Session #2 - Bridging the gap with regard to financial modeling.

Description: Continuing change pervades the actuarial world. Actuarial tools and techniques are constantly evolving, new financial products and services appear regularly, legislation and regulation rarely remain unchanged for long, consumers are becoming better informed and more sophisticated, the financial environment is becoming increasingly global, distinctions between types of financial institution are becoming more blurred, and the areas in which actuaries find applications for their skills become more varied. In this context, the most important attribute for actuaries is the capacity to adapt. This paper considers some implications for university actuarial programs of the need to develop adaptive actuaries. It discusses the results of a survey of the preferred learning styles of Macquarie University actuarial students, examines the newly introduced Australian actuarial subject called 'The Actuarial Control Cycle,' and looks at the use of portfolios of student work. It concludes that in order to develop adaptive actuaries for the 21st century, actuarial programs must broaden the range and type of teaching/learning activities and assessment methods provided for students.