Sir Edward Johnston Prize
The Sir Edward Johnston prize will be awarded to the best graduating student from the actuarial programme at the universities listed below.
What is the Sir Edward Johnston Prize?
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries has received a generous bequest from Christine Ottewill; the widow of Sir Edward Johnston a former Government Actuary in the UK (pictured left). As the family has had a long association with South East Asia, the Awards Committee has decided, from 2013 to make an annual award of £250 to the best graduating student from the actuarial programme at each of the following universities which the Profession has close links with.
* University of Hong Kong
* Chinese University of Hong Kong
* Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
* Central University of Finance and Economics (Beijing)
* Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
Discussions with each of the universities will specify the detailed criteria to be used in making the awards. It is anticipated that other universities could be added to the list over time.
Who was Sir Edward Johnston?
Sir Edward Johnston (1929-1991) was the sixth person to hold the post of Government Actuary. As such, he played a major role, both in the Actuarial Profession and in public life.
The Government Actuary is a role in UK Government which leads a specialised department, the Government Actuary's Department (GAD). With a history stretching back over a century, GAD is a consultancy which offers actuarial services to Governments and organisations in the public sector, in the UK and around the world, covering pensions, social security, insurance, investment and risk. Edward took over the role in 1973 and led the department for 16 years.
He was educated at Groton School in the USA and then moved to England to complete his education at Marlborough College and at New College, Oxford, completing his BA degree in 1952. He joined Equity & Law Life Assurance Society as an actuarial student where he qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in 1957 and then joined the Government Actuary's Department a few months later in February 1958.
He was elected to the Council of the Institute of Actuaries in 1973 and completed three terms over the next 15 years. He was appointed Vice-President of the Institute from 1978 to 1981. He was honoured for his contribution to public life being made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1975 and was knighted in 1989.