Description: The actuarial profession is marching into the age of Big Data. Increasingly, employers in various actuarial fields are requiring new hires to have sophisticated knowledge in statistics and data science. To meet the new demands from the industry and the profession, one of the key additions to the SOA’s new curriculum is an exam in Statistics for Risk Modeling (SRM) which includes modern statistical and data science techniques. There is also a new proctored project on Predictive Analytics, as a capstone requirement following the completion of the SRM Exam. At the University of Toronto, we recently underwent a major actuarial science curriculum redesign, in order to stay current with new trends and demand from the profession and in line with the new professional curriculum.

Description: Since the world in which actuaries work is both expanding (through 'data science' opportunities) and contracting (since 'data scientists' are doing work formerly done by actuaries), the role of education actuaries is at a tipping point. Members of the Society who are in higher education and representatives from the business community will discuss ways in which the two worlds of business and education have worked together in the past, what can be done by each group to assist the other, and what the future may hold.

Description: 1993 SOA Spring Meeting, Boston. This session provided an overview of the insurance industry around the world. Topics included: 1. What does it take to become an actuary in foreign countries? 2. Professional Standards of Practice. 3. Disciplinary Standards. 4. Education programs supported by the SOA in developing countries.