Insurance and Risk students advance their careers at UK wide risk management conference

A group of GCU London students had the opportunity to network with industry professionals at a risk management conference as a way of expanding their knowledge and connections within the profession.

Students from the MSc Insurance and Sustainable Risk Management programme attended the Airmic Conference in June with lecturer Dr Madhu Acharyya, who viewed the opportunity as great experience for the students in relation to their professional development.

Airmic, which is the UK’s largest risk management association, allows those in the industry to connect and share experiences.

Dhanushka Peiris, Namrata Pande and Olaniyi Sobowale were amongst the group of GCU London students who took advantage of the opportunity to attend the Manchester conference:

What made you decide to register for the conference?

Namrata: “We got an invitation from the university and our course director Dr Madhu Accharyya insisted it would be a great opportunity for students to network with the insurance and risk industry experts , as well as gain some contemporary knowledge and interesting insights on key issues and areas of insurance.

I attended the conference last year and was able to attend again this year which helped me make the right connections in the industry and extend my professional network further. Since the access to conference was free and getting the opportunity to explore new cities since they hold conferences in various cities, I was intrigued to attend it myself.”

Dhanushka: “I was fascinated by the idea of attending to the conference as I was able to; listen to insightful presentations and great talks related to risk management context and the industry, meet and interact with the industry veterans, and also get inspired by their passion.”

Olaniyi: “All thanks to Dr Acharyya Madhusudan who has prioritised exposing his students to relevant companies and organizations. His relationship with these organizations and companies has given students access to these places; that was how I got to know about Airmic. I registered for this conference because the theme was very related to my course, coupled with the fact that I was supported with bursary award from Airmic. Thank you Airmic!”

Now looking back, how would you describe the experience about getting to attend the conference with your university peers?

Namrata: “It was a great experience being part of the Airmic conference. Not only did it help me in making connections, gaining insights into the insurance and risk industry, but also meet other students from different universities who attended the conference.”

Dhanushka: “For me, the experience at the Airmic conference in Manchester was a once of a lifetime opportunity.  It was a great opportunity for students like me to see their future ahead and prepare themselves in advance to pursue their career aspirations in the industry.

I take this opportunity to thank Airmic as they always encourage students to be a part of their success journey and offer valuable opportunities like bursaries, etc.”

Olaniyi: “It was a very interesting and encouraging moment for me as I was able to relate with my peers from my own university and outside my university. We shared experiences and thoughts on how to take advantage of the resources at our disposal, so as to make positive impacts in industries. It was also a nice experience to hang out with some of them, we had a wonderful time together.

Again, I would love to appreciate Dr Acharyya Madhusudan for all of his efforts.”

Find out more about the Airmic conference on their website

By Rachael McAlonan

Got a SCEBE or GSBS story? Email me at Rachael.McAlonan@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on social media here