March 11, 2010
New York, NY (March 3, 2010)
–The Peter J. Tobin College of Business School of Risk
Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (SRM) will host a
symposium entitled “Microinsurance: Concept Meets Practice”, on
Thursday, March 18, 2010, in New York City. The symposium will
be held at the University’s Manhattan campus, 101 Murray Street,
from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Microinsurance, the process of adapting and delivering
insurance services to low-income households and entrepreneurs with
no access to mainstream insurance services, is increasingly
recognized as a useful tool in economic development around the
world. Though the process has the potential to reduce global
poverty, structural challenges hinder its development. The
symposium will include a short presentation on the state of
microinsurance and emerging issues by Rodolfo Wehrhahn, Senior
Insurance Specialist at the World Bank. Comments will be
added by Anna Gincherman, Women’s World Banking, and Alex
Bernhardt, Assistant Vice President at Guy Carpenter & Company,
LLC, on efforts to develop a sustainable microinsurance
market.
The symposium will move from knowledge to action as students,
coached by insurance industry alumni will exchange ideas and
solutions. “As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St.
John’s focuses on empowering students to make a positive difference
on both local and global levels,” said Dr. Nicos Scordis, The John
R. Cox/ACE Limited Chair in Risk and Insurance. He added,
“Microinsurance is an important global concept within which our
students, guided by our Vincentian tradition, can apply their
knowledge and provide meaningful service to our global
community.”
The symposium, hosted by the School’s Alumni Association
Chapter, is part of SRM’s Annual Career Day for undergraduate and
graduate students. The day kicks off with a Career Fair
featuring over twenty insurance, reinsurance, consulting and
investment companies, and is capped by an Alumni Reunion welcoming
graduating students into the financial services sector. The
“Concept Meets Practice” symposium is an initiative of The John R.
Cox/ ACE Limited Chair in Risk and Insurance. The Munich Re
Foundation is a supporter of this year’s symposium.
The School of Risk Management was founded in 1901 as the
Insurance Society of New York and over the years evolved into The
College of Insurance (TCI). In June 2001, TCI merged with St.
John’s University, becoming a school of The Peter J. Tobin College
of Business. Located in New York City’s downtown financial
district, SRM awards undergraduate, M.B.A., and M.S. degrees in the
insurance, risk management and actuarial science
disciplines. A new M.S. degree in Enterprise Risk Management
will launch in fall 2010. Through its Center for Professional
Education, SRM also provides education, training and consulting
services to the industry, governments and regulators
worldwide.
For press inquiries, please contact Maureen Furlong Weber,
Director, St. John’s University School of Risk Management, 101
Murray Street, New York, NY 10007-2165; (212) 277-5111; weberm@stjohns.edu. For
inquiries regarding prospective corporate participation in the
Career Fair scheduled for March 18 please contact Bill Keating at
keatingw@stjohns.edu or
212-277-5112. # # #