ITB Hosts International Seminar on Actuarial Education

BANDUNG, kemahasiswaan.itb.ac.id – The Statistics Research Group, Mathematics Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) held the Seminar on Actuarial Science Teaching on Wednesday (7/9/2025) in Seminar Room Basic Science A, ITB Ganesha Campus. This event was part of the Actuarial Science Seminar Series aimed at strengthening the capacity of actuarial science teaching in Indonesia.

The seminar featured Diana Skrzydlo, MMath., ASA, Associate Professor (Teaching Stream) from the University of Waterloo. She presented her experiences and innovations in teaching actuarial science. The event was opened by Prof. Sapto Wahyu Indratno as the representative of the Statistics Research Group ITB. He expressed his appreciation for the attendance of speakers and participants from various universities in Indonesia.

"This seminar is expected to provide new insights and allow collaboration opportunities in the teaching of actuarial science in Indonesia," said Prof. Sapto.

Session I: Getting Students to Think Like Actuaries

In the first session, Diana explained the importance of instilling an actuarial mindset from an early age. She shared methods to integrate real-world case-based learning, risk communication, and professional ethics into the curriculum. Diana emphasized that actuarial graduates need not only technical skills but also the ability to explain analytical results and consider the social implications of their work.

"In practice, communicating ideas is as important as the ideas themselves. No matter how good a model is, if it's not understandable or believable, it won't be used," Diana said.

To achieve this, she uses approaches such as interactive brainstorming, reflective questions, and short report writing assignments that “force” students to present actuarial findings in accessible language.

Session II: Tailoring Material to Specific Student Populations

In the second session, Diana shared her experience in tailoring teaching materials for students with diverse backgrounds, for example, computer science students who are required to take a probability course. Her approach involves linking the material to relevant fields, such as machine learning, online games, and technology industry case studies. This strategy has proven effective in improving students’ performance and increasing their interest in statistics and actuarial science.

Through this activity, Mathematics and Actuarial Study Program ITB continues to strengthen its commitment on developing actuarial education that is adaptive and relevant to industrial needs, in line with its vision of producing graduates who are ready to face the challenges of the global profession.

Reporter: Iko Sutrisko Prakasa Lay (Mathematics, 2021)