Description: The Ecuadorian Actuarial Association (AEACT) was admitted, as a Full Member (FMA) of the International Actuarial Association (IAA) in October 2021. This constitutes a great achievement for a small country like Ecuador with 17 million inhabitants, a GDP of 100 billion U.S. dollars, and no more than 20 professional and registered actuaries. This important goal was a challenge both personally and for the team that worked hard to achieve it. I remember that it all began 28 years ago, when I attended as a guest to present a summary about the actuarial profession in our country at the World Congress of Actuaries that was held in Montreal, Canada. This congress was the opportunity to learn about the functions and activities of the associations of more developed countries with a significant number of actuaries and whose profession already had an acceptance in professional societies such as the Society of Actuaries in the United States, the Faculty of Actuaries of the United Kingdom, or the Institut des Actuaries of France.

Description: A look at U.S. and Dutch multiemployer plans.

Description: Composition of the new council and news about the International Section. Groupingactuaries living in different parts of the world and practicing in diverse areas of application of actuarial science, the International Section has sustained its relevancein a world that becomes more interconnected. The harmonization of solvency andconsumer privacy laws and regulations, and the establishment of international financial reporting standards, has prompted our Section to deliver content that helps complement the educational offer available from the Society of Actuaries. But actuaries around the world are enthusiastically tapping into predictive analytics, data science, and risk modeling. Accordingly, the SOA offers three certificate programs: • International Financial Reporting for Insurers (IFRI) • Predictive Analytics • Ethical & Responsible Use of Data

Description: The international presence of SOA-designated actuaries is on the increase, and the International Section will be aligning many of its activities to complement those of the SOA’s International Committee while continuing current successful activities and initiatives.

Description: Announcement of the winner of the International Section’s annual country feature article competition, highlights of articles in the issue, and reminder about upcoming professional development opportunities.

Description: First from a comparison of U.S. and Japanese interest rates, abrupt switch to sumo, because sumo is life! Okay, it is not -- in March 2022, there was an upset win when a tall but li wrestler won the tournament. Just as in sumo, when it's not the more massive man who wins, we need to question our assumptions in our models.

Description: Overview of the Society of Actuaries' Ambassador Program, list of ambassadors, and profile of new ambassador to Indonesia, Kim Yeoh.

Description: Chairperson reviews the section's goals and mission.

Description: The editor discusses editorial board changes, welcomes new section council members, and mentions highlighted articles in this issue.

Description: Focuses on these key China market questions: • How quickly is the market developing? • What is the market potential? • How are the existing foreign companies performing? • What are the main implications of China’s accession to the WTO? • How do different market entry options compare? • Which are the key issues to consider in establishing a joint venture? • What is the future outlook for new entrants?