With a rapidly growing membership in South-East Asia and a unique network of businesses, governments and academic institutions, we are committed to supporting our members, their employers, students and educators all across the region.
Learn more about the services we offer.
Become an actuary
Whether you're thinking about becoming an Associate, Fellow or Actuarial Analyst, the profession offers an exciting career for those who are ready to take the next step and get more from their love of maths.
Every year we welcome new students from all across South-East Asia who are inspired by the idea of becoming an actuary.
To qualify as an actuary you need to apply to become a student member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). You then need to pass our exams, which typically run in April and September, and gain a satisfactory level of work-based skills.
To find out more about the IFoA and how you can achieve your career goals, download our "More than maths" brochure today.
Being an actuary: our members' experience
Our members in South-East Asia work in traditional areas such as insurance, but also in non-traditional areas such as banking, investment, InsurTech and in digital roles.
Here are some stories from our members on the wide range of opportunities being an actuary gives you:
"The most important thing for an actuary is to have the right mindset to be able to manage people, adjust and convince people that you can do anything."
Anusha Thavarajah, CEO, Malaysia (Read the case study)
"I work in a small team in a reinsurance broker and the scope of work can be very diverse. Given the backdrop of maturity in the data science field, the increasing sophistication of the insurance industry in Asia, and the shifting insurance regulatory regimes in the region, it is clearly an exciting time to be an actuary."
Chris Lim Shen, Senior Analyst, Singapore (Read the case study)
"I enjoy developing a positive working relationship with my clients. It motivates me when I am able to solve their problems, and as a result, become their "first-to-go-to" contact. This makes my work feel more meaningful. I also enjoy the opportunity to apply my technical actuarial skills to creatively deliver innovative solutions for my clients whilst ensuring robust risk management practice."
Albertus Teddy Setiadi, Director, Singapore (Read the case study)
Supporting actuarial employers in South-East Asia
We are committed to promoting quality assurance at an organisational level to ensure confidence in the work of actuaries in South-East Asia. Three out of the four employers outside of the UK that have achieved accreditation by the IFoA’s Quality Assurance Scheme (QAS) are in South-East Asia. They are Actuarial Partners Consulting’s group actuarial department in Malaysia; Aon’s Centre for Innovation, Strategy and Management Pte Ltd in Singapore; and Willis Towers Watson’s Insurance Consulting and Technology lines of business in Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
Become an accredited university
The IFoA works with a range of accredited universities in South-East Asia to ensure the highest quality in actuarial education and training.
There are seven universities in South-East Asia that have exemptions to at least some of the IFoA’s exams, these are:
- Asia Pacific University, Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University, Malaysia
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Sunway University, Malaysia
- UCSI University, Malaysia
- University of Malaya, Malaysia
- Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia
View our list of accredited universities
Interested in becoming an accredited university? Contact us to find out more.
Become a volunteer
IFoA Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Volunteering brings a range of great benefits.
We have an active volunteer community in South-East Asia. There are over 70 volunteers in the region.
“Volunteering provides opportunities for members to interact with other actuaries, globally, and gives them a platform to exchange ideas and understand a variety of issues observed in developed and developing countries.”
Farzana Ismail (Read the case study)
"My role in the ISCF has also given me the opportunity to engage with many actuarial students in my region. By sharing their experience, thoughts and concerns with the IFoA Education team, I hope I can somewhat contribute in shaping the future of aspiring actuaries."
Ooi Choong Hern (Read the case study)
“I would encourage you to step forward and become a CPD Co-ordinator for your company!”
Pay Peng Neo (Read the case study)
Please contact us to find out more about volunteering opportunities in South-East Asia.
News
Tan Suee Chieh has been appointed as the next President-elect and he will take up this new position in June 2019. Click here for the full article.
The January 2019 edition of The Actuary magazine featured Sophia Ch'ng, an IFoA member based in Malaysia.
Read our latest South-East Asia newsletter for news on:
- the Chartered Actuary qualification
- acting in the public interest
- the Pensions Board and more
Head to our International section for pervious editions.
Events
Professional Skills Trainings in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur
| Singapore | Kuala Lumpur |
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Date: 25 June 2019 Time: 14.00 – 16.30 Venue: Room 903, NTUC Centre, Level 9, One Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018989 Cost: This event is free for IFoA members and will qualify for 2 hours of Stage 3 PST under the IFoA CPD Scheme 2018/19. A no-show charge of SGD30.00 will be applied. Register your attendance by 21 June 2019. |
Date: 28 June 2019 Time: 09.00 – 11.30 Venue: Menara AIA, 99 Jalan Ampang, 50450, Kuala Lumpur Cost: This event is free for IFoA and ASM members and will qualify for 2 hours of Stage 3 PST under the IFoA CPD Scheme 2018/19. A no-show charge of RM100.00 will be applied. Register your attendance by 21 June 2019 |
Further information
This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Life, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
Video case studies will be selected from the IFoA’s 2018/19 online content which covers a range of topics under an overarching theme of “Getting it right!”
Whether it’s how we communicate, present our findings, or conduct negotiations; we always need to be professional. This includes being able to support our position, ensure the other party knows and understands what we have done and why, treating others with respect and being prepared to “call out” inappropriate behaviours.
This year’s videos will explore some of the possible challenges in achieving this and also looks at some of the potential pitfalls in using social media.
We aim to avoid overlap with case studies used at other events, but cannot guarantee that there will be no duplication in content.
Please contact Marie Lee if you have any questions.
Joint Regional Seminar 2019 - Call for papers!
22 July 2019 to 5 August 2019
The Joint Regional Seminar (JRS) is an annual event co-organized by the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries, Actuaries Institute Australia and Society of Actuaries with the support of the local actuarial societies in the region. It is designed to assist actuaries and other professionals in meeting their CPD requirements.
The 2019 schedule will be as follows:
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| Taipei (1.5 days) | 22- 23 July |
| Hong Kong | 24 July |
| Ho Chi Minh | 26 July |
| Kuala Lumpur (1.5 days) | 29 - 30 July |
| Jakarta | 31 July |
| Sydney | 2 August |
| Bangkok | 5 August |
The format for the full day program in each location consists of presentations by regional and local speakers whereas a workshop may be presented during the second half day program in Taipei and Kuala Lumpur.
The theme of this year’s JRS is “Changing Environment, Emerging Trends and Evolving Regulations – Deja Vu or Crystal Gazing?”
We welcome speakers from all insurance and financial backgrounds to discuss the above topics and more. We particularly like to hear from those who are already working in the areas of our proposed topics and can share insights of their work with us. Please send your presentation and/or workshop ideas to Pat Kum by 12 April 2019 for the committee's consideration.
22nd Asia Actuarial Conference - Call for papers!
21 - 24 October 2019, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
The Singapore Actuarial Society (SAS) is pleased to host this year's AAC themed "Crazy Responsive Actuaries – Taking Action to Secure the Future".
The organising committee invites interested presenters to register and send abstracts of their topics here. The submission closing date is 17 June.
Event speakers
Looking for speakers? Our members are experienced speakers on a range of topics with recent presentations in South-East Asia on cyber risk, retirement adequacy and IFRS17.
About us
The IFoA’s Singapore office has been in operation since 2014 and we were the first, and remain the only, international body to have an office in South-East Asia. The office has been set up to cater to our 1,000+ members in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Please get in touch with us if you have an interest in joining the actuarial profession, or employing actuaries in South-East Asia.
| Contact details | |
|---|---|
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163 Tras Street, #07-05 Lian Huat Building, Singapore 079024 Contact number: +65 6906 0889 |
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Caryn Chua, South-East Asia Actuary Representative Contact number: +65 8838 5848 |
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Marie Lee, South-East Asia Regional Coordinator Contact number: +65 8778 1784 |
We also work closely with the local societies in the region:
Filter or search events
Events calendar
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Webinar Series: Risk and Investment Conference 2019, 17 June
These are online webinar events17 June 2019The IFoA’s Risk Management and Finance and Investment Boards are delighted to host a series of webinars covering a range of topical and trending topics ranging from climate related risks to Brexit.
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Sessional Meeting - Climate Risk Reporting Practices by UK Insurance Firms and Pension Schemes
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn London, WC1V 7QJ17 June 2019Increasing global concern over the impact of climate change has recently led to public scrutiny over the adequacy of existing risk management practices by insurance firms and pension schemes in dealing with these challenges, that potentially impact both individual actuaries and the IFOA generally.
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NED Event: Behavioural Finance and Boards
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ18 June 2019
This event is now full. Please register here for the wait list -
Pensions Conference 2019
Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre, 2 Lower Castle Street, Old Market, Bristol, BS1 3AD18-19 June 2019Five plenaries and 13 workshops cover current topics and industry trends in the Pension sector with the opportunity to develop your network at the pre-conference evening dinner (18 June). There is also a day ticket option available for the 19 June. -
KSS event – FinTech and The Actuarial Profession
EY, Atria One, 144 Morrison Street, Edinburgh19 June 2019This KSS talk from FinTech Scotland's CEO will explore the mission to create an integrated Fintech ecosystem through provision of funding, support, infrastructure and talent that recognises and responds to the needs of all stakeholders - and the overarching aim for Scotland to be one of the top 5 Fintech global leaders by 2020.
To book your place, please email Barry_Shannon@standardlife.com
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Current Issues in General Insurance (CIGI) 2019
Inmarsat, 99 City Road, London, EC1Y 1BJ19 June 2019CIGI is a well-established one-day seminar designed to increase awareness and encourage discussion on a variety of topical issues across the general insurance industry.
There will be an excellent and diverse line-up of speakers to provide a variety of perspectives and challenge covering technical and professional areas.
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KSS Event: How to Stop Bad Data Driving out the Good (In an Age of Misuse, Misleadingness and Misinformation)
Edinburgh Hymans Robertson, 1 Exchange Place, Semple St, Edinburgh EH3 8BL20 June 2019Fake news, post truth, mistrust of experts... a familiar roll call of anxieties – or perhaps clichés – about our data rich world. They point to an underlying fear that in this data abundant age the bad data drives out the good and we are left with a broken public discourse.
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Professional Skills Training - Edinburgh (20 June 19)
IFoA (Edinburgh), Level 2, Exchange Crescent 7 Conference Square Edinburgh EH3 8RA20 June 2019 -
Cass Event – New Thinking about Deferred Annuities
Cass Business School, Executive Education Facilities 200 Aldersgate St, London EC1A 4HD21 June 2019Our motivation for discussing this important subject comes from some exciting recent research which has analysed the impact of behavioural factors on the decision to purchase an annuity. This work has shown that behavioural factors can explain the well-known low demand for immediate annuities but this research also identifies an important opportunity in relation to deferred annuities (DA). The research suggests that these factors lead to positive incentives to purchase a DA and that, for longer deferred periods, a DA could be an attractive product for both consumers and insurers.
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Sessional: Why the Pensions Dashboard is more than a data collection exercise
Royal College of Physicians, 9 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JQ24 June 2019The pensions dashboard has been talked about across the industry for a long time and now nears implementation with DWP’s consultation ending in January 2019. -
IFoA/SAS Joint Professional Skills Training – Singapore
Room 903, NTUC Centre, Level 9, One Marina Boulevard, Singapore 01898925 June 2019The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and Singapore Actuarial Society (SAS) are organising a joint Professional Skills Training (PST) in Singapore. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Life, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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Professional Skills Training - London (25 June 19)
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn London WC1V 7QJ25 June 2019
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Webinar Series: Risk and Investment Conference 2019, 26 June
These are online webinar events.26 June 2019The IFoA’s Risk Management and Finance and Investment Boards are delighted to host a series of webinars covering a range of topical and trending topics ranging from climate related risks to Brexit.
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AGM and Presidential Address 2019 + Volunteer and Member Drinks Reception
The Hub Castlehill Edinburgh EH1 2NE26 June 2019
Notice is hereby given that the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the INSTITUTE AND FACULTY OF ACTUARIES will be held at The Hub, Edinburgh on Wednesday 26 June 2019 at 16.30 (Preceded by tea from 16.00) and followed by a PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS given by John Taylor.
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IFAM event - Actuarial Teachers’ & Researchers’ Conference 2019
Institute for Financial and Actuarial Mathematics Department of Mathematical Sciences The University of Liverpool Mathematical Sciences Building Peach Street Liverpool, L69 7ZL27 June 2019 - 29 June 2019The Institute for Financial and Actuarial Mathematics (IFAM) at the University of Liverpool is pleased to host the 2019 Actuarial Teachers’ and Researchers’ Conference from 27-28 June 2019. This annual two-day event has been running annually now for many years, each time hosted by a different university, and provides all those interested in actuarial research and education a great opportunity to share their ideas and catch up on the latest developments.
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IFoA/ASM Joint Professional Skills Training – Kuala Lumpur
Menara AIA, Auditorium, 99 Jalan Ampang, 50450, Kuala Lumpur28 June 2019The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and Actuarial Society of Malaysia (ASM) are organising a joint Professional Skills Training (PST) in Kuala Lumpur. This session is suitable for actuaries working in any area (i.e. it is not specifically aimed at Life, GI or any other technical discipline) and is interactive, so you should come along prepared to take part in the discussions.
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NOCA Event - Climate-related risk: facing up to the challenge
N/A28 June 2019Presented by Louise Pryor
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SIAS: The Impact of Air Pollution on Health and Life Expectancy
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ2 July 2019Air pollution has gained increasing attention lately. Nicola Oliver, head of longevity and mortality research for Medical Intelligence, will discuss not only the impacts of air pollution on health and life expectancy but also how as an industry we should be addressing it.
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Webinar: Opportunities for Actuaries in Banking
Online webinar10 July 2019The actuarial profession has much to offer the world of banking. In this webinar actuaries with experience in various fields of banking will talk about the opportunities there are in banking; describing the actuarial aspects of the work they do as well as other roles within their area of banking. -
Implications of 2019 IFRS 17 Exposure Draft
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ24 July 2019Towards the end of June, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is expected to publish an Exposure Draft (ED) of limited changes to its insurance contracts standard IFRS 17, effective date 2022. To help IFoA members, the IFoA’s cross-practice Financial Reporting Group (FRG) is hosting an event at Staple Inn covering these developments.
For more information on the FRG please visit this webpage.
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NOCA event - IFRS17 methodology selection, consistency and impacts
N/A26 July 2019Presenter: Rahul Verma
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NoCA Event - Periodic Payment Orders (PPOs): the most extreme life risks are in non-life companies
N/A30 August 2019Presenter Matt Modisett
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Behavioural Finance Research Launch
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QJ4 September 2019
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KSS event – The Regulatory Perspective
Deloitte Saltire Court 20 Castle Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2EG5 September 2019This KSS talk, presented by the FCA Head of Department in Scotland, will focus on the following 3 main areas:
- FCA business plan priorities
- The future of regulation
- FCA Engagement in Scotland
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Sessional Research Event - Risk Margin Working Party
Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn London, WC1V 7QJ9 September 2019For life insurers in the UK, the risk margin is one of the most controversial aspects of the Solvency II regime. Following its implementation, the risk margin came under considerable criticism for being too large and too sensitive to interest rate movements. These criticisms are particularly valid for annuity business – such business is of great significance to the national system for retirement provision. This criticism has led to political interest, and the risk margin was a major element of the Treasury Committee inquiry into Solvency II.
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GIRO Conference 2019
EICC, The Exchange, 150 Morrison St, Edinburgh EH3 8EE24-26 September 2019GIRO is attended annually by over 800 delegates and speakers who are keen to discuss key topics such as Pricing, Reserving, Modelling and the future of the insurance industry. GIRO 2018 was a huge success and we have opened bookings early for what we hope will be another brilliant conference at the EICC in Edinburgh this year. -
NOCA event - Discount Process Is The Problem
N/A27 September 2019Presenter Jon Spain
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Autumn Lecture 2019, London - Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP
Lincoln's Inn The Treasury Office, London WC2A 3TL2 December 2019The IFoA is pleased to announce that this year’s Autumn Lecture will feature the Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP as its guest speaker. Nicky has previously served as Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Minister for Women. She now chairs the Treasury Select Committee whose remit is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of HM Treasury, along with all of its agencies and associated bodies.
