21 Sep 2026
On 9 September, the School of Mathematics and Physics (SMP) hosted the AIA Actuarial and Financial Talent Development Seminar, themed "From Academic Study to Industry Practice in the AI Era". Experts from AIA Life Insurance and the Society of Actuaries (SOA) joined staff and students to discuss industry trends, artificial intelligence, professional qualifications and careers. XJTLU and AIA Life Insurance Jiangsu Branch also unveiled a jointly established teaching practice base.
Connecting academic study with industry practice
Dr Xin Xu, Programme Director of the BSc Actuarial Science, moderated the seminar, and Dr Ruonan Zhang, Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching, presented the School's approach to talent development.
SMP offers four undergraduate, four master's and one doctoral programme. Its BSc Actuarial Science is an SOA UCAP-AC partner programme (the SOA's advanced curriculum accreditation for university actuarial programmes). XJTLU's VEE (Validation by Educational Experience) courses and its on-campus centre for the SOA's P (Probability) and FM (Financial Mathematics) exams support students preparing for international actuarial qualifications, and as a UCAP-AC partner institution XJTLU students also access SOA-approved courses and professional development resources.
Deepening university-industry collaboration with a joint teaching practice base
Dr Qijian Xie, Director of the Student Centre, presented the plaque, which Ms Heqing Lyu, Head of Customer Marketing at AIA Jiangsu, received on behalf of AIA.
Ms Lishang Zhang, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at AIA Life Insurance, spoke about AIA's growth in China and its work in talent development. XJTLU became one of AIA's new university partners in 2026. Both sides hope the base will bring talent development, student growth and industry practice closer together, giving students more opportunities to learn about the industry, gain hands-on experience and broaden their career horizons.
From academic study to career choices
Mr Heng Chen, Senior Director and Head of Product at AIA Life Insurance, spoke on "The Origins and Destinations of the Actuarial Profession", drawing on more than 20 years in the industry.
An actuarial education, he noted, develops not only technical skills for insurance but also foundational capabilities in quantifying risk, forecasting the future and balancing returns against costs, which also apply to reinsurance, third-party services, insurtech and other fields requiring risk quantification and decision support. "It is not the profession that limits people; it is people who choose their comfort zone," he said. Young actuarial talent, he added, should keep building professional expertise alongside general skills such as communication, management and business insight, and have the courage to take on rotations and cross-disciplinary challenges. He also introduced AIA's management trainee programme, which will offer XJTLU students fast-track slots for AI interviews.
In the Q&A session, students asked about coursework, SOA exams, internships, job hunting and career planning, and AIA experts responded from their own industry experience.
Exploring XJTLU's innovation and culture
Guests also toured the campus, with a focus on the XJTLU Museum. Rooted in the University's mission of talent development, research, social service and cultural innovation, the Museum centres on the idea of "Gather · Pass on · Grow" and presents XJTLU's work in higher education innovation and internationalisation through collections, exhibitions and multicultural education activities.
At the international accreditation display area, guests learned more about SMP's collaboration with SOA in accreditation, curriculum development and professional qualification pathways. The visit gave them a closer look at XJTLU's open, integrated and innovative approach to education and opened further space for exchanges on talent development, programme development and student practice.
By Qinru Liu
21 Sep 2026