The third international scientific conference “Developments in Pension Design and Investment Modelling” took place on the island of Andros from 6 to 9 September 2026, focusing on recent developments in pension system design and investment strategies. The University of Piraeus co-organised the conference with the Université Catholique de Louvain and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Associate Professor Michalis Anthropelos of the Department of Banking and Financial Management at the University of Piraeus, Professor Pierre Devolder and Professor Steven Vanduffel served as the conference organisers and scientific coordinators.
The conference brought together academics, actuaries, investment managers and specialised professionals from the international pensions sector, providing a forum for substantive exchange between academic research and professional practice.
The scientific programme addressed some of the most pressing issues facing pension systems worldwide, including population ageing, the relationship between pay-as-you-go (PAYG) and funded pension systems, pension reform, pension fund investment strategies and investment under uncertainty. Key topics included the implications of differences in life expectancy for pension design, the challenges involved in reforming the French pension system, the evolution of defined contribution (DC) schemes in the United Kingdom, and approaches combining PAYG and fully funded DC schemes.
Particular attention was payed to the international debate surrounding the transition from traditional defined benefit (DB) schemes to defined contribution (DC) schemes, as well as the need to adapt pension systems to demographic and economic change. The conference also explored contemporary approaches to portfolio management under uncertainty and to the modelling of longevity and investment risk.
Researchers from leading universities and organisations across Europe, Asia and the United States participated in the conference, including representatives from Tsinghua University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Hong Kong, Universität Bielefeld and the Université de Lausanne. Presentations addressed, among other topics, population ageing and the debate between PAYG and funded pension systems, the future evolution of human life expectancy, and pension fund portfolio management in an environment of heightened debt and uncertainty.
The University of Piraeus played an active role in the scientific programme. Associate Professor Michalis Anthropelos presented his research paper, “On Spatial and Temporary Optimal Risk-Sharing”, while, in the same session, Professor Thaleia Zariphopoulou of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oxford presented a new approach to pension fund management based on forward performance criteria.
As Associate Professor Michalis Anthropelos noted, the third international scientific conference highlighted the importance of direct interaction among academic researchers, pension industry professionals and policymakers. He stressed that developments taking place internationally create common challenges while also requiring solutions tailored to the specific circumstances of each country, with particular emphasis on pension fund sustainability, retirement income adequacy, effective risk-sharing and appropriate investment design.
The conference received support from major organisations in the investment management, insurance and actuarial sectors in Greece and internationally: Alpha Trust, Alpha Asset Management, National Asset Management, Eurobank Asset Management, Piraeus Asset Management, the International Actuarial Association, Belgian insurance company AG Insurance, and the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). Their involvement also underscored the close connection between the conference’s research agenda and the practical challenges currently facing institutional investors, insurers and pension funds.
The third international scientific conference “Developments in Pension Design and Investment Modelling” reaffirmed the value of international collaboration among universities, researchers and industry professionals in a field that directly connects financial research with one of the major socioeconomic challenges of the coming decades: designing sustainable pension systems in an environment shaped by population ageing, heightened uncertainty and changing investment conditions.
University of Piraeus: Leading International Researchers Discuss the Future of Pensions «Developments in Pension Design and Investment Modelling»
