The 29th International Congress on Insurance: Mathematics and Economics (IME 2026) was held from June 29 to July 3 at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, capital of South Korea. Among those invited to attend and present their research findings were Associate Professor Wei Xiao, Assistant Professor Liu Chang and nine master's and doctoral students from the School of Insurance at the Central University of Finance and Economics, also known as CUFE, based in Beijing.

In the Quantitative Finance session, Wei Xiao proposed a hybrid framework combining Fourier cosine and backward recursive pricing. Liu Chang, in the Reserve Assessment and Rate Setting session, examined Spanish auto insurance data, and found that adverse selection is the main cause of information asymmetry. In the Quantitative Finance session, Lyu Sicong constructed a pricing model for variable annuities, and analyzed optimal surrender strategies. Qi Mengjia, in the Insurance Economics session, demonstrated that a straight deductible is optimal under rank-dependent utility. Ren Tingdi analyzed the equilibrium effects of regulation under adverse selection and search frictions in the Insurance Economics session. Zhang Lingli, in the Climate Risk and Sustainable Development session, developed a general equilibrium model revealing the mechanisms by which agricultural insurance enhances food security resilience. Wang Yuzheng analyzed the differences in shadow insurance regulatory arbitrage between China and the US in the Insurance Economics session. Qiao Zhi, in the Pension Insurance session, calculated the impact of delayed retirement on pension benefits, and found that delayed retirement reduces expected value for those with low life expectancy. Xu Yitian, in the Insurance Economics session, incorporated maternity subsidies into family decision-making, and assessed the impact on pension funds. Yan Lingjia, in the Finance and Investment session, analyzed the linkage of gold prices in London, New York and Shanghai, exploring the value of gold allocations. Wang Xin, in the Correlation Modeling and Reinsurance session, designed an optimal reinsurance model considering default risk and VaR constraints. Overall, these wide-ranging studies covered cutting-edge areas such as quantitative finance, insurance economics, pension insurance and climate risk — showcasing CUFE's research strength in related disciplines.

The participating faculty members and students also engaged in exchanges and discussions with experts and scholars from around the world on issues related to insurance theory, financial mathematics and risk management.

As a leading academic platform in the global insurance and actuarial science fields, the IME conference aims to promote innovation in the theory and practice of risk modeling and insurance economics. This year's conference brought together researchers and industry players from around the world to share and discuss the latest achievements and significant advancements in insurance, mathematics, economics, finance, and risk management. Moreover, it highlighted the critical role of interdisciplinary and cross-background dialogue in addressing complex industry challenges.

Writers: WANG Xin, WANG Wei

Reviewers: ZHOU Hua, ZHENG Sujin

Editors: WANG Xinyu

Approvers: HUO Xiaoran