Successful international conference on actuarial risks
The first Scandinavian Actuarial Conference was held in Copenhagen, from 15 to 16 August 2024, hosted by The Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
“It was great to see so many scientists and risk professionals sharing and discussing recent developments in actuarial science and beyond, fuelled by a shared passion for mathematics and its real-life applications,” says Christian Furrer, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee.
The conference was preceded by a commemoration of Professor Ragnar Norberg (1945 – 2017), aptly titled “Remembering Ragnar”, on 14 August. The two events brought together more than 200 participants from around the globe and facilitated knowledge sharing and collaboration across disciplinary borders as well as between academia and industry.
Professor Susanne Ditlevsen, President of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, opened the conference reminding the audience of the University of Copenhagen's long tradition for actuarial research and education, but also of the emerging challenges and turbulent times ahead. She highlighted that the understanding of risks is more important than ever, be it in connection to the escalating climate crisis, cyber warfare, or pandemics. Therefore, the skills and insights provided by the actuarial sciences will play a key role in building resilience and ensuring a sustainable future.
In four plenary talks by leading international researchers and many parallel sessions, the latest developments and advances in the field were illuminated and discussed. Topics ranged from asset allocation and product design to machine learning and the statistics of extremes. Further highlights of the conference included a roundtable on fairness, moderated by the renowned Karel Van Hulle, and the social event and conference dinner on Thursday evening, which took place at The Workers Museum.
“It was a huge success to see so many international researchers together with Danish practitioners, and the event testified to the strong relationship between basic research, applied research, and practice at the department,” says Head of Department Mogens Steffensen and continues: “Personally, the conference was something quite special to me, as the memorial satellite event concerned the life and works of my master’s and PhD supervisor Ragnar Norberg.”
See the programme for details and abstracts: www.sac24.net/schedule.
Carlsbergfondet, the Danish Society of Actuaries, and Fynske Købstæders Fond supported the event.
