ST448      Half Unit
Insurance Risk

This information is for the 2017/18 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Hao Xing Col 7.12

Availability

This course is available on the MSc in Financial Mathematics, MSc in Quantitative Methods for Risk Management and MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The course is available with permission when students meet requirement on pre-requisities. 

Pre-requisites

Students must have completed Stochastic Processes (ST302) and Probability, Distribution Theory and Inference (ST202).

Good undergraduate understanding of distribution theory and stochastic processes. ST202, ST302 or their equivalent.

Course content

A self-contained introduction to insurance risk analysis. Starting from classical actuarial modelling of insurance risk, axiomatic approach to ordering of risks is presented, optimal forms of insurance from the insured's and from the insurer's point of view are analysed, and Pareto-optimal risk exchanges are introduced. Standard schemes of reinsurance are introduced and analysed. Ruin theory for an insurance company and capital requirement are studied. Heavy tail distributions and the extreme value theory are introduced. In the second part of the course, securitisation of insurance-related risks will be introduced. Case studies on current developments in life and non-life insurance industry and their stochastic modelling are also presented.

Teaching

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT. 2 hours of seminars in the ST.

Formative coursework

Students will be expected to produce 6 problem sets in the LT.

Indicative reading

Thomas Mikosch, Non-Life Insurance Mathematics

Ragnar Norberg, Non-life Insurance Mathematics (Lecture notes)

Pauline Barrieu, Luca Albertini, The Handbook of Insurance-Linked Securities

Assessment

Exam (90%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.
Presentation (10%) in the LT.

During weeks 10 and 11, students will be required to give group presentations using material which will have been provided in week 1 or 2. Guideline on how presentation is evaluated will be conveyed to students after Week 6.

A set of practice exam-type questions will be discussed in Week 6.

Key facts

Department: Statistics

Total students 2016/17: Unavailable

Average class size 2016/17: Unavailable

Controlled access 2016/17: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Commercial awareness