ABIR announces partnership for free foundation courses on Bermuda reinsurance

The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) is set to sponsor a free foundation course on Bermuda’s reinsurance and insurance industry for the fourth consecutive year as part of a partnership with Bermuda College and the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science at St John’s University in New York.

Titled “Special Topics in Insurance,” the course is designed to provide insights into Bermuda’s insurance sector and serve as a gateway to careers in the industry. The sessions will be conducted online via Zoom every Monday evening, from 6pm to 8pm, beginning January 15. The curriculum will include presentations by faculty from St John’s University and executives from ABIR member companies.

According to a report from The Royal Gazette, the course covers various topics, including the history and development of Bermuda’s reinsurance and insurance industry, its economic impact, and key focus areas such as climate risk, natural catastrophe reinsurance, the emerging legacy run-off industry, life and annuities, collateralized reinsurance, captive insurance, and Bermuda’s regulatory framework.

Participants have the option to attend individual sessions based on their interest or register for the entire course through the Bermuda College website. Additionally, the course offers foundational knowledge for students considering summer internships with leading insurers and reinsurers in Bermuda. In 2023, ABIR member companies sponsored a record 103 paid internships for local students.

John Huff, president and chief executive of ABIR, emphasized the importance of the course in ABIR’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. He expressed gratitude to the volunteer presenters from ABIR member companies and anticipates similar levels of interest as seen in the first three years of the course.

“By helping young Bermudians to understand this global industry on their doorstep and the possibilities it offers for them, it will help to attract the next generation of Bermudian leaders. I’m hopeful we can attract similar levels of interest and enthusiasm as we saw in the course’s first three years,” Huff said.

Targeted not just at college students, but also high school students, career shifters, industry professionals, and the general public interested in the reinsurance and insurance sector, the course aims to broaden understanding and interest in this global industry.

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