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Leading at the forefront of our disciplines

Being the leading provider of actuarial education for more than 50 years, we have a strong research program focusing on the practical application of advanced quantitative techniques.

This involves model-building and sophisticated analytical approaches for strategic innovation in insurance, finance, economics and business.

Examples of research topics on which we focus include:

  • Functional time series analysis
  • Demographic modelling and forecasting
  • Computational statistics
  • Empirical finance

Grant funding

Dr Chi Truong is a senior lecturer of Actuarial Studies and Business Analytics at Macquarie University. His research areas include:

  • investment decision analysis under uncertainty
  • catastrophic risk modeling
  • forecasting using dynamic factor models.

He was recently awarded research funding of $53,000 by the Society of Actuaries to study flood risk management and adaptation under sea-level rise uncertainty.

This project aims to contribute to insurance flood risk management by introducing a real options framework for pricing catastrophic risk in coastal regions.

The proposed approach takes into account:

  • economic growth
  • the uncertainty of sea-level rise
  • the stochastic volatility of storm surge.

Using the modeling framework, the optimal adaptation pathways when both hard protection measures and soft measures can be formulated.

The project will help to examine whether a planned adaptation strategy is sufficient for coastal regions in the coming decades.

Our research networks

Additional opportunities for innovation and learning include our specialist research networks and groups:

The Financial Mathematics, Risk and Insurance research network develops and applies innovative quantitative techniques from actuarial studies, mathematics, statistics, economics, finance and computing to solve problems arising in the insurance and finance industries.

Our research topics include:

  • risk analysis and risk management
  • valuation of derivative products and insurance products
  • statistical models in insurance and reinsurance
  • optimal asset allocation.

To learn more, contact Professor Tak Kuen (Ken) Siu on ken.siu@mq.edu.au.

The Data and Business Analytics research network develop innovative methods to harness the power of big data for decision-making and to apply them to managing different risks inherent in society and in business.

Our research topics include:

  • business analytics techniques and their applications
  • ethics of analytics and artificial intelligence
  • human-AI interactions
  • machine learning
  • modelling and forecasting in financial and insurance markets
  • social network analysis
  • statistical inference.

To learn more, contact Professor Hanlin Shang on hanlin.shang@mq.edu.au.

The Longevity and Mortality Risk Research research network develops pioneering methods to deepen our understanding of longevity and mortality risks and construct innovative solutions for handling these risks.

Our research topics include:

  • modelling disability, mortality and longevity risk
  • mortality forecasting
  • applications to the insurance sector
  • superannuation and retirement
  • statistical modelling.

To learn more, contact Professor Zhuo Jin on zhuo.jin@mq.edu.au.

The Commodity and Energy Markets research network focuses on the economic and financial analysis of commodity markets, particularly econometric and analytical techniques and their application to commodity, energy, and carbon emission markets.

Our research topics include:

  • risk management in commodity markets
  • econometric analysis of electricity markets
  • renewable energy policies
  • energy and weather derivatives
  • decarbonization of energy markets.

To learn more, contact Professor Stefan Trueck on stefan.trueck@mq.edu.au.

Develop your research skills

Undertake our Master of Research, two years of intensive research training which will prepare you to begin your PhD.

See Masters programs and PhDs