Derek Cribb unveils plans for real-time webcasts to extend the reach of the IFoAs events programme
Innovation is a word that is increasingly used to describe the work of the IFoA, with the launch of global firsts such as the Certified Actuarial Analyst qualification and the Quality Assurance Scheme - but there's more to come that will build on our developing reputation.
We are fortunate to have such a strong pool of volunteers, who help us pull together our conferences, producing content that ensures our events are always advancing and pushing boundaries. But, as the IFoA has expanded its geographic reach and as our membership has increased, we have been faced with the challenge of making this high-quality continuing professional development (CPD) and conference material accessible to all members, wherever they are based.
This year I was extremely proud to attend our first IFoA Asia conference in Beijing. It was a wonderful opportunity to listen to our guest speakers, such as Nobel Prize winner Myron Scholes, and was hosted with aplomb by David Hare, immediate past-president. The conference was well attended and set new records in feedback scoring for its high quality. However, the benefits of this conference were only garnered by those in the region. Events such as the GIRO, Life and Momentum conferences face a similar challenge in making material accessible to all members who are interested in actuarial science.
We currently record our plenary sessions and upload these to the website. In the future, however, we are planning to produce global real-time webcasts from our conferences. This should allow members all over the world to obtain CPD and attend networking events as they come together in groups across the regions to watch live broadcasts. We will be able to make these webcasts interactive through social media, and hope to facilitate discussion at remote gatherings.
We are looking to begin a trial of this at our upcoming CPD events. It is my vision that broadcasting our events will give us a greater reach to our actuarial audiences. This will be another benefit available to all members, helping to improve accessibility to CPD and networking globally, encompassing social media and regional societies around the world.
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