APU Leads Global Collaboration at Actuarial Summit 2025

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The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) hosted the Actuarial Summit 2025 at its campus on Saturday, 1 November 2025. Themed “Advancing Actuarial Excellence for a Sustainable Future,” the event marked a key milestone in strengthening Malaysia’s national capacity and global collaboration within the actuarial profession. 

The full-day event was officiated by Dr Shamsuri Abdullah, Deputy Director-General (Planning), Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education, Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), representing Datuk Dr Anesee bin Ibrahim, Secretary-General of MOHE. 

Jointly organised by APU and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), United Kingdom, with support from the Actuarial Society of Malaysia (ASM) and Etiqa Insurance & Takaful, the summit celebrated several key milestones, including the presentation of the Industry Appreciation Awards for Contributions to Actuarial Education and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between APU and Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM). 

Over 500 participants attended the ceremony, including students, educators, alumni, industry leaders, and professionals from both public and private higher learning institutions—signifying strong demand and national support for actuarial talent in Malaysia. 

Empowering Future-Ready Actuaries 

In delivering the keynote address on behalf of Datuk Dr Anesee, Dr Shamsuri Abdullah highlighted the evolving role of actuaries in addressing global and national challenges. 

“The actuarial field today is no longer confined to insurance or traditional statistical calculations,” he said. “It is a discipline that supports risk management in a much broader context—encompassing climate impact assessment, sustainable pension systems, and alignment with global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” 

He added that Malaysia’s higher education policies emphasise quality, access, and relevance to national needs, ensuring actuarial graduates are well-equipped to lead, innovate, and compete globally. 

“As a key driver of human capital development, niche disciplines such as actuarial science must continue to evolve—producing graduates who are not only employable but capable of leading transformation and advancing innovation at a global level.” 

His remarks reinforced the MADANI Government’s commitment to nurturing talent with analytical strength, ethical integrity, and leadership values that support the nation’s sustainable development agenda. 

Global Collaboration for Professional Growth 

In a pre-recorded address from the United Kingdom, Mr Paul Sweeting, President of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), expressed his delight at once again collaborating with APU for the Actuarial Summit 2025. 

He commended Malaysia’s vibrant actuarial community of students, academics and professionals driving the profession forward. 

Mr Sweeting said this year’s theme, “Advancing Actuarial Excellence for a Sustainable Future,” reflects how actuaries can help build systems and communities that are resilient, balanced and responsible. 

“Sustainability challenges us to look beyond numbers,” he said. “It’s about how our decisions today shape tomorrow’s opportunities. Actuarial science is not just a profession of numbers, but a profession of purpose—helping shape a fairer, stronger and more sustainable world.” 

APU Strengthens Malaysia’s Actuarial Ecosystem 

Reaffirming APU’s commitment to nurturing world-class actuarial professionals, Datuk Parmjit Singh, Chief Executive Officer of APU, expressed pride in the university’s journey and achievements. 

“Our actuarial journey began in 2013 and reached a major milestone in 2018 with full IFoA accreditation,” said Datuk Parmjit, whose message was delivered by Professor Dr Ho Chin Kuan, Vice-Chancellor of APU. “Today, APU stands among a select group of universities in Asia with IFoA Block Accreditation—offering our students an accelerated pathway to becoming globally qualified actuaries.” 

He added that the partnership with global and industry bodies continues to strengthen the employability, innovation, and professional readiness of Malaysian graduates. 

Associate Professor Dr Rajasegeran Ramasamy, Head of the School of Mathematics, Actuarial and Quantitative Studies (SoMAQS), extended appreciation to IFoA for their unwavering support, noting that such collaborations serve as catalysts for producing graduates who are both globally competent and industry-ready. 

MoU Between APU and PIAM: A Strategic Step Forward 

A significant highlight of the event was the MoU exchange between APU and PIAM, represented by Prof Dr Ho Chin Kuan, Vice-Chancellor of APU, and Mr Chua Kim Soon, Chief Executive Officer of PIAM, witnessed by Dr Shamsuri Abdullah and Mr Ng Kok Kheng, Chairman of PIAM. 

The partnership aims to foster joint research, curriculum co-development, and a stronger talent pipeline for Malaysia’s insurance and risk management sectors. Mr Chua Kim Soon emphasised that the collaboration bridges academic insight with industry needs. 

“The actuarial profession forms the backbone of Malaysia’s insurance industry,” he said. “This MoU ensures that our future workforce is equipped with both technical expertise and practical understanding of the industry’s evolving challenges. Together with APU, we are investing in talent that will shape the next generation of risk leaders.” 

Recognising Industry Commitment and Leadership 

The Industry Appreciation Awards for Contributions to Actuarial Education celebrated outstanding organisations that have supported actuarial training, internships, and student development. Award recipients included:

• Ms Leong Su Yern, CEO, Etiqa Life Insurance Berhad
• Mr Syed Hamadah, Senior Partner, Actuarial Partners Consulting
• Ms Sharmini Perampalam, Senior Vice President & Group CFO, MNRB Holdings Berhad
• Mr Patrick Cheah, President & CEO, Malaysian Life Reinsurance
• Mr Gary Hoo, CEO, AIA General Berhad
   

Experiential Learning at the Heart of the Summit 

The day-long summit featured a dynamic programme, including a C-Suite Panel, Panel Discussion, Actuarial Datathon, HR Talk & Simulation, and a range of career-focused engagements such as the Career Fair, Mentor Hot Seat, Poster Competition, and Campus Tours. The event was also live-streamed to Mahidol University (Thailand) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), promoting regional collaboration. 

The C-Suite Panel featured industry leaders such as Ms Leong Su Yern, Mr Syed Hamadah, and Mr Patrick Cheah, while the Panel Discussion spotlighted Ms Hana Ghazali, Mr Kugenthiran Raveenthiran, and Mr Izian Sherwani Mansor, offering diverse perspectives on sustainability, innovation, and risk responsibility. 

More than 25 industry booths were set up by leading financial and insurance institutions, including CIMB, Hong Leong, MNRB, MLRe, and Peneraju, which collectively received over 150 student CVs throughout the day. 

Assoc Prof Dr Rajasegeran explained that the Actuarial Datathon challenged students to apply analytics and modelling skills to real insurance data, while the Poster Competition encouraged creative problem-solving and innovation on emerging actuarial issues. HR Talks and mock interviews provided hands-on guidance to enhance employability and professional readiness. 

Building Malaysia’s Actuarial Future Together

The Actuarial Summit 2025 underscores Malaysia’s national commitment to:

• Enhancing actuarial education through real-world learning
• Strengthening employability and leadership pathways
• Fostering innovation in sustainability-focused actuarial practices
• Building a resilient, globally connected actuarial ecosystem
   

Through strong collaboration between academia, industry, and international bodies, Malaysia is paving the way for a new generation of actuaries—equipped to lead in responsible risk management, sustainability analytics, and data-driven financial innovation.