Actuary in Academia and Research: teaching, graduate study and SNII

Overview of the specialty

Actuarial academia has two sides that feed each other. Teaching trains the actuaries the market needs: Mexico has around 22 active bachelor's programs in actuarial science, from the UNAM Faculty of Sciences, which opened the first one in Latin America in 1947, to recent programs that integrate data science. Research produces the models and methods the profession later adopts: Bühlmann credibility, the Lee and Carter method for projecting mortality and stochastic reserving models were all born in academic journals before reaching standards and regulation.

The academic actuary solves a problem industry does not solve on its own: thinking long term and independently. An insurer rarely devotes two years to studying whether mortality improvement among Mexican pensioners is slowing down, or how solvency capital would change with growing climate risk; a research group can do it, publish it and submit it to peer criticism. That independence also makes the academic a valuable counterpart for regulators such as the CNSF (National Insurance and Surety Commission) and CONSAR (National Retirement Savings Commission) and for social security institutions.

In Mexico the academic career is built around public and private universities, research centers and the Sistema Nacional de Investigadoras e Investigadores (SNII, National System of Researchers), administered by SECIHTI (Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation, formerly CONAHCYT). The most common combination is the full time professor with a doctorate who teaches courses, supervises theses and publishes; also common is the adjunct professor who works in industry, teaches one or two courses and brings real practice into the classroom.

The basic research cycle is thesis, paper and conference. A good bachelor's or master's thesis with a precise question, Mexican data and a well applied method can become a paper; the paper is first presented at a conference to gather feedback, improved and then submitted to a refereed journal. See the universities that offer actuarial science, the profession's magazines and publications, and the reference books.

Key functions

Undergraduate teaching

Teaches probability, statistics, life and non-life actuarial mathematics, risk theory, demography, finance and programming in programs such as those at UNAM (Faculty of Sciences and FES Acatlán), ITAM, Anáhuac, UDLAP, UAEMéx, BUAP, UANL or UAG, which offers Actuarial Science and Data Science. Also designs curricula aligned with the IAA education syllabus and with professional exams.

Thesis supervision and graduate training

Supervises bachelor's, master's and doctoral theses, from defining the question to the defense. In Mexico the relevant graduate programs include the UNAM Master's and Doctoral Program in Mathematical Sciences (with the Specialization in Applied Statistics), the CIMAT Master's and Doctorate in Probability and Statistics, the ITAM Master's in Data Science, the La Salle Master's in Actuarial Sciences and the graduate programs of the Faculty of Actuarial Sciences at Anáhuac México, which has announced a Doctorate in Actuarial Sciences.

Research and refereed publication

Develops new models or applies existing methods to unsolved problems and publishes them in refereed journals: ASTIN Bulletin (Cambridge, IAA), Insurance: Mathematics and Economics (Elsevier), North American Actuarial Journal (SOA), Scandinavian Actuarial Journal, European Actuarial Journal (Springer), Variance (CAS) and Annals of Actuarial Science (Cambridge, IFoA).

Conference presentations

Presents work in progress at the major forums: the International Congress of Actuaries (ICA), which the IAA organizes every three years and whose 33rd edition takes place in Tokyo from November 8 to 13, 2026; the colloquia of the IAA's ASTIN (non-life insurance) and AFIR-ERM (finance and enterprise risk) sections; and the IME congress, whose 29th edition was held in Seoul in 2026. In Mexico, the Congreso Nacional de Actuarios and CONAC's Gran Encuentro Actuarial accept research papers.

Applied research with industry and regulators

Collaborates with insurers, reinsurers, consultancies, the CNSF, CONSAR, IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute) or ISSSTE (Social Security Institute for State Workers) on experience studies, mortality tables, reserving methodologies or the evaluation of pension reforms. These projects give access to real data and produce papers with practical impact, always under clear confidentiality and publication agreements.

Outreach and public engagement

Explains topics such as aging, pensions, disaster insurance and the use of algorithms in insurance to non-specialist audiences, through media, student forums and open materials. Outreach now counts in the SNII evaluation and helps spark the vocation of new students.

Techniques, models and formulas

The most active lines of actuarial research combine probability, statistics, finance and, increasingly, machine learning. A good thesis or paper topic usually comes from crossing a recent technique with an understudied Mexican dataset or problem: the mortality of IMSS pensioners, hurricane risk on the Gulf coast, medical inflation in major medical insurance or the coverage of microinsurance.

Longevity and stochastic mortality

Models such as Lee-Carter (1992), Cairns-Blake-Dowd and age-period-cohort models project mortality with uncertainty. They underpin dynamic tables for pensions and life annuities and the measurement of longevity risk; the 2020 and 2021 pandemic raised questions about how to treat outlier years.

Risk theory, ruin theory and credibility

Studies the probability that an insurer's capital is exhausted (Cramér-Lundberg and Sparre Andersen models, dividend policies and optimal reinsurance) and how to combine individual and collective experience. It is the most classical tradition of ASTIN Bulletin and Insurance: Mathematics and Economics. See ruin theory.

Quantitative finance and ALM

Valuation of guarantees in life and pension products, interest rate models, hedging and joint asset liability management. It connects with the AFIR-ERM section and with risk based solvency regulation.

Climate and catastrophe risk

Modeling of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and droughts, catastrophe bonds, parametric insurance and the effect of climate change on claims. Mexico is a natural laboratory given its exposure to hurricanes and earthquakes and its experience with parametric instruments.

Actuarial machine learning

Neural networks for projecting mortality, reserving with individual claim models, interpretable methods for ratemaking and algorithmic fairness. It is the fastest growing line and the one most connected with industry; the academic challenge lies in rigorous validation and honest comparison with classical models.

Microinsurance, inclusion and social security

Design of low cost insurance for underserved populations, effects of pension reforms (Ley 73, Ley 97, the individual account system) and the adequacy of social security. It is a field where Mexican research has an advantage thanks to its proximity to the data and the problems.

Lee-Carter model

\[\ln m_{x,t}=a_x+b_x\,k_t+\varepsilon_{x,t},\qquad \sum_x b_x=1,\;\; \sum_t k_t=0\]

m_x,t is the central mortality rate at age x in year t, a_x the average age pattern, k_t the period mortality index and b_x the sensitivity of each age to that index. The constraints make the model identifiable.

Projecting the index as a random walk with drift

\[k_t=k_{t-1}+\theta+e_t,\qquad \hat\theta=\frac{k_T-k_1}{T-1}\]

θ is the drift (average change per period) and e_t a random error. The estimator of θ uses only the first and last values, so it is sensitive to outlier years at the start or end of the series.

Lundberg's inequality

\[\psi(u)\le e^{-R\,u}\]

ψ(u) is the probability of ruin with initial capital u, and R is the adjustment coefficient, which depends on the claim distribution and the safety loading. It is a classical result of risk theory.

Regulatory framework in Mexico

SECIHTI · Sistema Nacional de Investigadoras e Investigadores

The SNII recognizes research work with distinctions ranging from the candidate category to levels I, II and III, plus emeritus. A doctorate is required for admission; applications are filed on the Rizoma platform, and the 2026 call received applications from April 23 to May 15, with appointments effective January 1, 2027. The 2026 criteria seek to reduce reliance on the h-index and impact factor and to incorporate outreach, public engagement and the training of researchers.

SECIHTI · National graduate scholarships

The 2026 call for National Scholarships for Graduate Studies accepts applications from February 23 to November 28, 2026, with modalities for eligible in-person and distance programs. For a master's or doctoral applicant, choosing an eligible program often determines whether they can devote themselves full time to research.

IAA · Education syllabus

The International Actuarial Association defines the minimum content of actuarial education. Programs seeking IAA recognition through CONAC (Colegio Nacional de Actuarios) align their curricula with that syllabus, which guides the professor's course design. See Syllabus.

LFPDPPP and data agreements

Research using policy, claims or pension data involves personal data (governed by the LFPDPPP, Federal Law on Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties). The work relies on anonymized data, confidentiality agreements with the institution that provides them and, where applicable, the microdata access schemes of official sources such as INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography).

Official sources of demographic data

INEGI publishes registered death statistics, and CONAPO (National Population Council) publishes the Demographic Reconciliation of Mexico 1950 to 2019 and the Population Projections 2020 to 2070, with downloadable databases. They are the starting point for any study of the Mexican population's mortality.

Case study: designing a thesis that fits Lee-Carter to Mexican mortality

A master's student wants to answer: how fast is mortality improving for the Mexican population aged 60 to 79, and what does it imply for life annuities? Before working with INEGI death records and CONAPO population figures, she tests the method with illustrative central mortality rates for four age groups (60 to 64, 65 to 69, 70 to 74 and 75 to 79) and five years (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018), excluding 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic shock. The 2010 rates are 0.0125, 0.0190, 0.0295 and 0.0460; the 2018 rates are 0.0111, 0.0172, 0.0274 and 0.0440.

Age pattern: a_x is the average of ln m_x,t over the five years. It comes to -4.442, -4.014, -3.561 and -3.103 for the four age groups.
Mortality index: with the approximation k_t = sum over x of (ln m_x,t - a_x), we obtain 0.172, 0.079, 0.003, -0.088 and -0.165, which sum to zero as the model requires. The decline in the index reflects mortality improvement.
Age sensitivity: b_x is estimated by least squares of (ln m_x,t - a_x) on k_t: 0.354, 0.296, 0.218 and 0.132, which sum to 1. Singular value decomposition gives the same values to three decimals, and the first component explains 99.96% of the variation. Younger ages improve faster.
Projection: to four decimals, the drift is (-0.1651 - 0.1715) / 4 = -0.0842 per two year period. For 2028, five periods after 2018, k = -0.1651 + 5 × (-0.0842) = -0.586.
Projected rates for 2028: m = exp(a_x + b_x k) gives 0.00957, 0.01519, 0.02501 and 0.04158, that is, declines of 13.8%, 11.7%, 8.7% and 5.5% relative to 2018. With real data, the thesis would add prediction intervals, a backtest (fit through 2012 and compare with what was observed afterwards) and a comparison with CONAPO projections and regulatory tables.
Structure of the work: chapter 1, question and literature review (Lee and Carter in JASA, 1992, and their extensions in the North American Actuarial Journal); chapter 2, data and treatment of outlier years; chapter 3, estimation and validation; chapter 4, effect on the value of a life annuity. That last chapter is the contribution that can become a paper and be presented at a conference.

Lesson: A good actuarial thesis combines a concrete question, Mexican data, a recognized method applied rigorously and a measurable financial consequence. Testing the method on a small example before using the full database avoids most implementation errors.

Where they work and how they grow

Teaching assistant and graduate student (0 to 3 years)

Supports courses as a teaching assistant, pursues a master's degree and takes part in a research project. Writes a thesis with the goal of turning it into a first paper or conference presentation.

Doctorate and postdoc (3 to 8 years)

Completes a doctorate in actuarial science, mathematics, statistics or finance, in Mexico or abroad, and publishes first refereed papers. A postdoc broadens the network of coauthors and the research agenda.

Research professor (8 to 15 years)

Obtains a full time position, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, supervises theses, seeks funding and applies for admission to the SNII. Consolidates an independent research agenda and collaborations with industry.

Full professor and group leader (15 years or more)

Leads a research group, trains doctoral students, serves on editorial and conference committees, coordinates academic programs and advises regulators and public bodies. Aims for the upper levels of the SNII.

Typical employers in Mexico

Public universities with a bachelor's in actuarial science (UNAM, UAEMéx, BUAP, UANL, UAQ, UADY, UJAT, UAZ)
Private universities (ITAM, Anáhuac, UDLAP, Ibero, La Salle, UAG, Marista, among others)
Public research centers in mathematics and statistics, such as CIMAT
Universities and research centers abroad
Research units at regulators, the central bank and social security (CNSF, CONSAR, Banxico, IMSS)
Research institutes of actuarial associations and reinsurers
Consultancies and insurers that fund applied research

Common positions

Adjunct professorTeaching assistantFull time professorPostdoctoral researcherResearch professorActuarial science program coordinatorAssociate editor of a refereed journalResearcher at a regulator or central bank

Skills and tools

Technical

Probability and stochastic processesStatistical inference and Bayesian methodsLife and non-life actuarial mathematicsDemography and mortality modelsNumerical methods and simulationStatistical learningScientific writing and literature review

Tools

R (StMoMo, demography, actuar)PythonLaTeX and reference managersGit for reproducible researchBibliographic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar)Preprint repositories such as arXiv and SSRN

Personal

Clarity in explaining difficult topicsPatience and persistence in the face of editorial rejectionsMentoring and working with studentsIntellectual honestyCollaboration with coauthors from other countries

Certification and training

Doctorate

Required for a full time research position and for admission to the SNII. Options in Mexico: the UNAM Doctorate in Mathematical Sciences and the CIMAT Doctorate in Probability and Statistics; abroad, programs with an actuarial tradition such as Waterloo, Heriot-Watt, KU Leuven, Lausanne, UNSW or Wisconsin-Madison.

SNII recognition

A SECIHTI distinction that certifies the quality and continuity of research output. It carries weight in hiring, promotions and access to funding.

Professional certification (CONAC, ASA, FSA)

Not necessary for research, but it lends credibility for teaching courses aligned with professional exams and for collaborating with industry. See Certification.

Actuarial research awards

CONAC's Premio Nacional de Actuaría (National Actuarial Award) and the AMA's Premio Fundadores recognize theses and research papers; they are a good first goal for a solid thesis. See Events.

Trends reshaping the field

New SNII evaluation

SECIHTI's 2026 criteria reduce the weight of the h-index and impact factor and value outreach, public engagement, training of researchers and collaborative projects. For the research actuary, applied research with public institutions and outreach gain value.

Reproducible and open research

Journals and the community increasingly expect available code and data, preprints and open access. A repository with the thesis code makes it easier for others to verify and cite the work.

Machine learning and climate as dominant topics

Recent conference programs show strong growth in work on machine learning, algorithmic fairness and climate risk, alongside the classical lines of mortality and risk theory.

AI in teaching

AI assistants are changing how programming is taught, how students are assessed and which skills matter. The professor redesigns assignments so that students demonstrate understanding, interpretation and judgment, beyond delivering code that runs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a doctorate to teach actuarial science?

To be an adjunct professor, a bachelor's or master's degree plus professional experience is generally enough, and many universities value practicing actuaries. A full time research position and admission to the SNII require a doctorate.

How do I publish my first paper?

Start from your thesis and narrow the work down to a single clear contribution. Present it at a conference to gather feedback, choose a journal whose scope matches the topic (read its recent articles), follow its format and respond to the referees point by point. A rejection with comments is normal and useful: improve the text and submit it to another journal.

Where should I pursue a doctorate in actuarial science?

It depends on the research area and the supervisor. In Mexico there are strong doctorates in mathematics and statistics (UNAM, CIMAT) where actuarial topics are developed; abroad, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia and the United States have groups with an actuarial tradition. What matters most is finding a supervisor active in the topic that interests you and reviewing their recent publications.

Can academia be combined with industry?

Yes, and it is common. Many adjunct professors work at insurers, consultancies or regulators; many full time researchers collaborate on applied projects. The combination enriches both sides, provided data confidentiality and conflicts of interest are handled carefully.