The upcoming Asia conference marks a series of firsts for the IFoA, writes Derek Cribb
Last month, I talked about the network of UK regional societies and how they facilitate actuarial communities. This month, I'd like to take a wider look at what we are doing to support the 44% of our members who are based outside the UK.
We have a particularly strong and fast-growing presence in Asia. Therefore I am delighted that the IFoA will be hosting its first residential conference in Asia, taking place in Beijing from 13-15 May 2015. It is also the first truly cross-practice conference for members and all those with an interest in actuarial science, with sessions on topics from general insurance to life to local solvency regimes such as China's Risk Oriented Solvency System (C-ROSS) .
The IFoA has been able to attract speakers of an extremely high calibre from around the world, including thought-leading academics, representatives of global actuarial companies, and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission. The conference will also deliver an exciting programme of workshops and networking opportunities. Another first is a dedicated afternoon for university students, providing sessions to support their development and career progression. So it really is an event that is open to all.
We plan to repeat the Asia conference annually, finding locations that most suit our members' needs in the region. I am really excited about the possibilities this presents for knowledge sharing between the East and West. It is hoped that, in future, we will be in a position to invite Asia-based speakers to present at UK conferences and vice versa. Beyond this, it would be fantastic to run residential conferences in other parts of the world to reach even more members. We will also be looking to widen our sponsorship offering to strengthen our employer links.
In the UK, our residential conferences are well attended and receive good feedback. With the IFoA Asia Conference 2015, we are taking the opportunity to roll out a model that works to our members in Asia. This is in line with one of the central tenets of our strategy: to ensure the equivalence and accessibility of our services for all members. We are increasingly looking at ways to take our offering to our members, rather than expecting them to come to us.
Click here for further details about the conference.