Associate Professor Timothy Higgins

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Associate Professor in Actuarial Studies

Dr Tim Higgins is an Associate Professor in Actuarial Studies in the Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics. He has a Masters and PhD in Statistics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. Prior to academia Tim worked in the Department of Treasury.

Tim has taught a variety of actuarial and statistics courses at ANU including Introduction to Actuarial Studies, Financial Mathematics, Life Contingencies, Actuarial Techniques, Risk Theory, Actuarial Control Cycle, Advanced General Insurance and Enterprise Risk Management. He received the Vice Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Teaching in 2005, and has supervised over 30 honours and PhD students.

Tim has researched and published in the area of income-contingent loan theory and applications, stochastic modelling of earnings dynamics, demographic modelling, financial literacy and behaviour, and superannuation and retirement policy.

His primary field of research is income contingent loan (ICL) policy analysis and development. His involvement with ICL has included model development and costing of the Australian HECS scheme, and his work has led to published peer-reviewed research on topics including paid parental leave, mature-aged training, community attitudes, overseas debt collection, income support, recovery of migrant ‘brain drain’ charges, and options for tertiary education reform. Dr Higgins is co-editor and author of a recent book Income Contingent Loans: Theory, Practice and Prospects with Professor Bruce Chapman and Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz, launched at the 2014 International Economics Association World Congress in Jordan.

He is an active commentator and contributor to the Australian policy debate on higher education financing, has participated in Government Hearings into student income support and finance reform, and was an advisor to the 2014 Australian Higher Education Legislation and Finance Working Group. Tim was joint recipient (with Bruce Chapman) of the ANU 2014 Vice-Chancellor’s award for Public Policy and Outreach.

Research interests

  • Bruhn, A, Whiting, B, Browne, B et al 2017, 'Introducing Enterprise Risk Management into the University Classroom: A Case Study', Risk Management and Insurance Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 99-131pp.

  • Khemka, G, Roberts, S & Higgins, T 2017, 'The Impact of Changes to the Unemployment Rate on Australian Disability Income Insurance Claim Incidence', Risks, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 18pp.

  • Bruhn, A, Whiting, B, Browne, B et al, eds, 2017, Can Universities hit the mark with specialist actuarial education? An initial ERM Case Study. Actuarial Research Clearing House, ARCH 2017.2, Society of Actuaries.

  • Higgins, T & Chapman, B 2015, Feasibility and design of a tertiary education entitlement in Australia: modelling and costing a universal income contingent loan.

  • Cheah, K, Foster, F, Heaney, R et al 2015, 'Discussions on long-term financial choice', Australian Journal of Management, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 414-434.

  • Chapman, B, Clarke, P, Higgins, T et al 2015, 'Income Contingent Collection of a 'Brain Drain Tax': Theory, Policy and Empirical Potential', Population Review, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 13-27.

  • Chapman, B, Higgins, T & Stiglitz, J 2014, 'Introduction and Summary', in Bruce Chapman, Timothy Higgins & Joseph E Stiglitz (ed.), INCOME CONTINGENT LOANS: Theory, Practice and Prospects, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, Basingstoke and New York, pp. 1-11.

  • Chapman, B, Higgins, T & Stiglitz, J, eds, 2014, Income Contingent Loans: Theory, Practice and Prospects, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, England.

  • Higgins, T, 2014, 'Improving Paid Parental Leave through Income Contingent Loans', in Bruce Chapman,Timothy Higgins,Joseph E Stiglitz (ed.), INCOME CONTINGENT
    LOANS
    Theory, Practice and Prospects, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, England, pp. 127-135.

  • Chapman, B & Higgins, T 2013, 'The costs of unpaid higher education contribution scheme debts of graduates working abroad', The Australian Economic Review, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 286-299.

  • Bruhn, A & Higgins, T 2013, 'Barriers to Co-Contribution in Superannuation: a Comparative Assessment of the Financial Benefits of Scheme Participation', The Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 127-144.

  • Higgins, T & Sinning, M 2013, 'Modeling income dynamics for public policy design: An application to income contingent student loans', Economics of Education Review, December 2013, 37, 273-285.

  • Han, Y, Higgins, T & Bruhn, A 2012, 'Adequacy of Superannuation', Journal of Financial Advice, pp. 1 - 7.

  • Higgins, T & Roberts, S 2012, Financial Wellbeing: Concerns and choices among older Australians.

  • Higgins, T 2011, 'Income support for higher education through income contingent loans', Economic Papers, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 466 - 480.

  • Chapman, B, Higgins, T & Taylor, D 2009, 'Income Contingent Loans for Mature Aged Training', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 167 - 179.

  • Higgins, T & Withers, G 2009, 'Community Attitudes to Income Contingent Loans', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 217 - 236.

  • Chapman, B & Higgins, T 2009, 'An Income Contingent Loan for Extending Paid Parental Leave', Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 197 - 216.

  • Heathcote, C & Higgins, T 2004, 'Regression modelling of mortality surfaces and the deceleration of mortality', Mathematical Population Studies, vol. 11, pp. 73-91.

  • Heathcote, C & Higgins, T 2001, 'Forecasting mortality from Regression models: The case of the Netherlands', in Tabeau E, van den Berg Jeths A, Heathcote C (ed.), Forecasting Mortality in Developed Countries - Insights from a Statistical, Demographic and Epidemiological Perspective, Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, pp. 83-103.

  • Heathcote, C & Higgins, T 2001, 'A regression model of mortality, with application to the Netherlands', in Tabeau E, van den Berg Jeths A, Heathcote C (ed.), Forecasting Mortality in Developed Countries - Insights from a Statistical, Demographic and Epidemiological Perspective, Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, pp. 59-82.

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