Microinsurance and emerging consumers
Course
This two day microinsurance course, run by the University of Zurich, aims to allow participants to gain a basic understanding of microinsurance and learn in particular about key aspects and key challenges in providing insurance services in emerging and developing economies. The course explores theory and practice of offering microinsurance products to low-income customers in developing and emerging countries, where social security systems typically fail to reach the majority of the population. Participants will get a better understanding of how the process and components of microinsurance schemes interrelate and how to overcome specific problems in microinsurance markets. They will learn about institutional choices and different forms of partnership models to offer such services and discuss potential advantages and disadvantages. Different types of microinsurance products, such as agriculture and disaster insurance, health and life insurance are discussed in more detail. The course is completed by the analysis of the attractiveness of the market from the perspective of commercial players. The course is designed for organisations that support the development of microinsurance. The target audience includes people who are considering establishing microinsurance schemes, staff of microinsurance companies, established insurance companies that are considering entering the microinsurance market, regulators, policy makers and those working in financial inclusion. Topics will include:- Understanding insurance markets and their limitations for low income and emerging consumers;
- Key institutional choices and operational aspects in offering microinsurance products;
- The role of policy makers and governments;
- Key issues in health insurance; and
- Catastrophe / Agriculture Insurance.