Student seminar series
Kenneth Zhou
Associate Professor, University of Waterloo
Room: M3 3127
Mortality Modeling and Longevity Risk Management in the Post-Pandemic Era
This talk explores how mortality modeling and longevity risk management are adapting to new challenges in the post-pandemic era. Using recent mortality data, we examine how the pandemic has left persistent effects across age groups and causes of death, and how these patterns are reshaping the way we describe and forecast mortality dynamics. We then turn to the design of financial instruments for managing pandemic-induced losses faced by life insurers and reinsurers, drawing on the ideas behind the World Bank’s pandemic bond and stochastic compartmental models. Finally, we introduce a vitality-based perspective that views death as a first-passage time problem, offering an intuitive way to connect aging, sudden shocks, and recovery. Throughout the talk, we use empirical evidence and practical insights to illustrate how post-pandemic research is reshaping mortality modeling and longevity risk management.