The Actuarial Educators Network (AEN) has recently been formed to foster interaction between actuarial educators around the world and thereby improve the global quality of actuarial education and global access to actuarial education.

Actuarial educators and interested parties met to discuss setting up this network at the International Congress of Actuaries in Cape Town in 2010 and unanimously supported its formation.

Since 1998 the International Actuarial Association (IAA) has focused strongly on education in all regions of the world. The mission statement of the IAA specifically refers to developing education standards. Recent discussions on education strategy have envisioned a role for the IAA in promoting quality in actuarial education and ensuring greater global access.

Many educators are academics in universities and colleges, whereas others work primarily in industry or in other educational and professional bodies. They have key roles in teaching, assessment, curriculum design, preparing learning materials and research. The AEN is a forum for sharing teaching ideas, techniques and experiences, as well as a resource base for teaching and learning materials. Strengthening the links between the members of this global community of actuarial educators will strongly support the IAA’s education aspirations and members of the AEN intend to be an active presence at existing conferences of actuarial educators as well as regional meetings of the IAA.

The Subcommittee for Actuarial Educators, reporting to the IAA Education Committee, has been established to lead the development of the Network with the high-level purpose “to provide resources for and facilitate communication about actuarial education and research.” There is also a formal relationship between the AEN and the education subcommittee of Actuaries Without Borders^® (AWB) to help publicise opportunities for educators to participate in educational projects in countries with developing actuarial professions.

The AEN has established its own website www.actuarialeducators.org under the auspices of the IAA. Currently, the AEN has a mailing list of 250 educators from around the world and is actively intending to substantially increase this list. Anyone who has interest or involvement in teaching and examining actuarial and related subjects is encouraged to complete the website form or contact Christian Levac at the IAA Secretariat.

To learn more about the work of the IAA on this topic, contact the IAA Secretariat, care of the Chairperson of the Subcommittee for Actuarial Educators.