2023 Summer School for Actuaries

The insurance industry is changing – it is particularly affected by (and yet can particularly benefit from) digitalization and automatization. Artificial intelligence makes it possible to improve and accelerate many processes in risk management, marketing and claim settlement. This workshop will provide insight into algorithms for a better prediction and reservation in life and non-life actuarial mathematics.
The course starts with „Generalized Linear Models“ (GLMs), but then introduces more flexible regression models such as „Regression Trees“, „Random Forests“ and „Gradient Boosting“.
In the second half of the course, neural networks and deep learning algorithms are discussed. The aim is to present a kind of „toolbox“ of algorithms, together with various applications in insurance. Exercises and application examples are presented in the programming language «R».
The course is based on the classic: G. James, D. Witten, T. Hastie and R. Tibshirani: An Introduction to Statistical Learning; with Applications in R (2nd edition, 2021) as well as various books in the field of «Actuarial Data Science».
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Peter Hieber
Peter Hieber has been professor (tenure-track) of Acturial Sciences at the Université de Lausanne (HEC Lausanne, Switzerland) since 2021 and is member of the German and Swiss Association of Actuaries. His research and teaching interests lie particularly in the areas of Life and Pension Insurance Mathematics and Actuarial Data Science. After completing his doctorate in Financial Mathematics at the Technical University of Munich, he habilitated in 2022 at the Department of Acturial Sciences at the University of Ulm (Germany). Together with José Garrido (Montreal) and Sascha Günther, he taught at the Summer School „Machine Learning in Insurance“ of the Swiss Association of Actuaries (saa-iss.ch).

Sascha Günther, PhD Cand.
Sascha Günther is a PhD student at the Department of Actuarial Sciences at the Université de Lausanne (HEC Lausanne, Switzerland) and works as the assistant of Prof. Peter Hieber.
He graduated with a Master’s degree in Mathematics in Business and Economics from the Technical University of Dresden (Germany). His research focuses on Variable Annuities and the application of Machine Learning in Insurance.

Further information
Language of instruction: English
Date and time: May 3rd (9 am) until May 5th (1 pm)
Place: University of Klagenfurt, room Z.1.08 / Z.1.09
Registration fee: € 1.350,- (incl. VAT, catering and Conference Dinner)
