For students – University of Copenhagen

Centre for Pension Law
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For students

Til toppenSpecialist talks

The Centre for Pension Law regularly organises specialist talks on current issues within pension law.

Some are organised as more informal lunchtime meetings. Normally, one or more members of staff will present their projects. Everyone is welcome, but registration is necessary.

The Centre also hosts open meetings etc. on key issues within pension law. See dates.

Til toppenStudent jobs at the Centre for Pension Law

The Centre for Pension Law is looking for talented students to carry out research assignments at the Centre. If you are interested in working as an LL.M student at the Centre, please send an application (incl. your CV and academic records) to:

Professor Mads Bryde Andersen, Head of Centre
University of Copenhagen
Faculty of Law
Centre for Pension Law
Studiestræde 6, DK-1455 Copenhagen K
Email: mads.bryde.andersen@jur.ku.dk

It is possible to combine a student job at the Centre for Pension Law with an LL.M thesis project within the research areas described here as well as other areas.

It is also possible to be attached to the Centre for Pension Law as a regular thesis student.

Some ideas for theses in pension law are described below.

For more advice and guidance, please contact Professor Mads Bryde Andersen, Head of Centre, on tel. +45 35 32 31 33 or +45 40 58 09 25.

Til toppenWrite your thesis at the Centre for Pension Law

Because of the many unanswered questions relating to pension law, there are many excellent topics to choose from within this field of law. Here are some examples:

  • Building blocks of pension schemes
    Private pension schemes are based on contractual terms. Despite the similarity of the components, the terms tend to differ. Is it possible to identify characteristic terms, and do the differences in wording entail legal differences for the insured, e.g. in relation to guarantees and the management of changes?

  • Contractual impact of basic insurance policy terms
    All insurance schemes are based on declared basic insurance policy terms. In practice, these terms are both incomprehensible without some sort of training within insurance and not transparent in the sense of the principles that apply to ordinary terms of contract. This produces the question of what impact, in terms of contract law, is associated with basic insurance policy terms.

  • Concept of bonus
    The concept of bonus normally covers the annual distribution of the funds in a pension fund which extend beyond the funds that are to be distributed in accordance with the basic insurance policy terms. This comprises three components: Interest rate bonus, risk bonus and costs bonus. The size of the bonus will normally be determined by the board of a pension fund. However, the question of whether the individual insured person has the right to set up claims, in terms of contract law, concerning the bonus entails complex legal issues. Some of these issues are considered in the bonus report issued by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority and the Danish Insurance Association: Bonus i livsforsikring (Bonus in life insurance), 2004. Others require separate analysis.
  • Interest and benefit guarantees
    Life insurance and pension providers often guarantee the size of the benefits that will be paid out under a pension scheme. A few rulings have already decided what consequences, in terms of contract law, such guarantees have. How are they interpreted and to what extent can the pension providers invoke erroneous assumptions if conditions change significantly as a result of changes in taxation or levels of economic activity?