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ACORD Launches the 2025 Student Challenge

On August 21, 2025, ACORD, the leading global standards organization for the insurance industry, introduced the ACORD Student Challenge 2025. This competition aims to empower university students by encouraging them to utilize advanced technologies to address real-world problems within the insurance domain. This year's challenge is focused specifically on the burgeoning field of pet insurance underwriting.

In recent years, pet ownership has surged globally, leading insurers to seek innovative methodologies for risk assessment and tailored coverage offerings. Participants in the challenge will be tasked with identifying and organizing critical data fields necessary for underwriting pet insurance policies. Moreover, they will extract valuable insights that could help shape the future landscape of this rapidly evolving market.

Students will have the opportunity to leverage next-generation AI tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and various data science techniques. By compiling and analyzing carrier data, they will gain hands-on experience in essential areas such as prompt engineering, data architecture, and process documentation. Their contributions will aid in establishing data standards that will be utilized across the global insurance industry.

"ACORD is proud to support the next generation of insurance innovators," stated Malou Soriano, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Officer of Education, Consulting, and Advocacy at ACORD. She emphasized the importance of this challenge by saying, "The Student Challenge provides a unique opportunity for students to apply emerging technologies to meaningful industry problems while building skills that will serve them throughout their careers."

The challenge offers significant rewards as well. The winning participant will receive a cash prize of $5,000, while two additional runners-up will each be awarded $2,000. All winners will also gain recognition in ACORD's newsletters and media channels, complimentary passes to the ACORD Connect 2026 event, and a year-long mentorship with established insurance professionals.

Registration for this exciting competition is open now and will continue until October 1, 2025, with entries due by November 1, 2025. Students interested in participating can find more information and register at www.acord.org/studentchallenge.

ACORD's mission extends beyond this challenge; the organization plays a pivotal role in facilitating quick and accurate data exchanges and creating efficient workflows by developing electronic standards, standardized forms, and supplemental tools for their application. Presently, ACORD serves more than 36,000 organizations across over 100 countries, encompassing insurance and reinsurance companies, agents, brokers, financial services providers, and industry associations alike. ACORD operates out of New York and London and continues to develop initiatives aimed at enhancing the insurance industry as a whole.

For further details, please reach out to Beth Jarecki at [email protected].

Conclusion

The ACORD Student Challenge represents an excellent platform for students to engage with significant contemporary issues in the insurance industry while refining their technical skills. As the pet insurance market grows, the new ideas and innovations that emerge from this challenge may significantly influence how insurers operate and serve their clients in the future.