About Professor Ioannis Kyriakou
Professor Ioannis Kyriakou is a Professor of Actuarial Finance at Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London. He specialises in quantitative methods and their applications in operations research, finance, actuarial science and risk management, including areas such as derivatives, pension product design, forecasting and commodities. His research has been published in leading journals across operations research and financial disciplines.
He serves in editorial and leadership roles for academic journals such as the International Journal of Finance & Economics, Decisions in Economics and Finance and Annals of Actuarial Science. He has also been Guest Editor for journals including European Journal of Finance and European Financial Management, and serves as co-Chair of the Finance and Business Analytics Conference.
Professor Kyriakou is the Course Director of the MSc Actuarial Science, the MSc Actuarial Management, and the MSc Actuarial Science with Business Analytics at Bayes Business School – three of the School’s highly regarded actuarial postgraduate programmes.
How the Actuarial Master’s programmes prepare students for the future
Professor Kyriakou leads three actuarial MSc programmes at Bayes that are structured to provide rigorous technical foundations and professional progression pathways for actuarial students.
The MSc Actuarial Science with Business Analytics, MSc Actuarial Management, and MSc Actuarial Science are all delivered in London and designed to combine technical actuarial skills, analytical methods and industry-relevant learning.
Industry-focused learning
Across all three programmes, students engage with actuarial concepts linked to real-world insurance, finance and risk challenges. Teaching includes modules that cover actuarial mathematics, probabilistic modelling, financial reporting, risk modelling, specialist actuarial subjects and analytics methods, supported by expert academics and practitioners.
Comprehensive skill development
Students develop technical and analytical skills relevant to professional actuarial practice:
- Actuarial mathematics, probability and financial modelling
- Quantitative methods and data analytics
- Use of R, Python and industry-standard tools
- Specialist actuarial principles and core practice subjects
- Professional communication and applied problem-solving
These skills are embedded through core modules, electives and applied projects, allowing students to build mastery of both traditional actuarial techniques and advanced analytical tools.
Professional qualification pathway
All three programmes offer pathways to professional actuarial qualification, with exemptions from subjects of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in the UK. This alignment supports students on the route to chartered actuarial status.
Industry engagement and networks
Students benefit from interactions with employers and industry bodies through guest lectures, projects and career activities. They also gain access to actuarial communities and professional networks in London, supporting early career development and connections with leading organisations.
Career readiness
Graduates of these programmes build a strong foundation for roles in actuarial science, insurance, risk analysis, consulting and related quantitative professions. The combined focus on technical excellence, professional standards and applied skills prepares students for a range of analytical and actuarial career paths.