International insurers’ research grants for Swansea Business students
Two international postgraduate doctoral scholars from Swansea’s School of Business and Economics have been awarded research sabbatical grants worth more than £20K from major insurance organisations.
Vineet Upreti (pictured)
, aged 30, from India, is currently a Willis Doctoral Research Fellow. His research on the link between reinsurance and the cost of capital in the UK non-life insurance sector is supported by the international insurance brokerage, Willis.
Vineet has been awarded an additional £8,000 sabbatical award by Willis, to visit the Department of Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA between January and May 2011.
He will work with Professor Richard Phillips, a world-leading academic in the risk and insurance area, and his colleagues in the area of reinsurance and economic value.
Vineet said: “I am excited to have this opportunity to pursue my research as a short term scholar at Georgia State University. It is a privilege to work at one of the world leading research institutions in the field of Risk Management and Insurance with such a reputed researcher as Professor Phillips.
“I am sure this visit will be instrumental in enhancing the quality of my doctoral research and achieving the research objectives. I am greatly indebted to my sponsors Willis Ltd, and my supervisor Professor Adams for providing me with this opportunity.”
Elena Veprausksaite (pictured)
, aged 26, from Lithuania, is currently the UK Government Actuary’s Department Sponsored Doctoral Scholar. She is researching the link between reinsurance, reserving and earnings management in the UK non-life insurance sector.
Elena has been awarded £12,500 (A$20,000) by Tower Life, one of Australasia’s major life insurance companies, to examine further the investor and policyholder benefits of reinsurance and reserve optimisation, at the Department of Actuarial Studies, Australia School of Business, University of New South Wales. Elena will be working with Professors John Evans and Michael Sherris, two leading international experts in the field of actuarial science.
She said: “my sabbatical to Australia will provide a very exciting opportunity to improve my PhD research through working with well known professors and a major insurance company. I am eager to make the most of my time there.”
The students’ principal supervisor Professor Mike Adams, Lecturer in Finance in Swansea University’s School of Business and Economics, said: “These are excellent opportunities for Vineet and Elena, and indeed the School, to establish international links with leading academic institutions and to engage in research that has clear commercial impact.
“I believe that the sabbatical visits will be invaluable in providing our two doctoral students with additional skills and insights that will help to enhance their doctoral research. Indeed, this is a life changing opportunity and my colleagues and I are very grateful to Willis and Tower Life for their support.”
For more information on the School of Business and Economics at Swansea University, visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk/business .
