Jan Hoem
Encyclopedia
Jan M. Hoem is a distinguished scientist in population studies.
He was born in Kristiansund
, Norway
, studied actuarial science
and mathematical statistics
in Oslo
, and was awarded a Dr.philos. in 1969. He became a lecturer at the University of Oslo
and later moved on to found and head the Socio-Demographic Research Unit at Statistics Norway
. From 1974 to 1981 he was Professor at the Laboratory of Insurance Mathematics at the University of Copenhagen
, followed by a professorship in Demometry at Stockholm University
. In 1999 he was appointed Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
in Rostock
, Germany
, a position he held until he retired in 2007. Currently he is working as Professor Emeritus at the Stockholm University Demography Unit
Before he took his Dr.philos degree, he published a book called “Basic Concepts of Formal Demography”, which became the standard introductory text in demography in Norway. His article on Markov chain
models has been named one of the four most significant papers in modern actuarial science. Hoem also made contributions to stochastic stable population theory, demographic incidence rates, and the statistical analysis of multiplicative models. He is best known for his work on event-history analysis - contributions that have helped shape demographic methodology.
Later in his career, Hoem turned towards social demography. In his papers on the impact of social policies on fertility, Hoem showed that the stringent application of appropriate methods to individual-level data greatly improve our understanding of the link between public policies, demographic behavior, and demographic outcomes.
In 2006 he was awarded the IUSSP Laureate
Award
in recognition of his achievements in scientific research.
He was born in Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, studied actuarial science
Actuarial science
Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in the insurance and finance industries. Actuaries are professionals who are qualified in this field through education and experience...
and mathematical statistics
Mathematical statistics
Mathematical statistics is the study of statistics from a mathematical standpoint, using probability theory as well as other branches of mathematics such as linear algebra and analysis...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, and was awarded a Dr.philos. in 1969. He became a lecturer at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
and later moved on to found and head the Socio-Demographic Research Unit at Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
. From 1974 to 1981 he was Professor at the Laboratory of Insurance Mathematics at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, followed by a professorship in Demometry at Stockholm University
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
. In 1999 he was appointed Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research is located in Rostock, Germany. It was founded in 1996 and moved into new buildings in Rostock in 2002. It is one of approximately 80 institutes of the Max Planck Society....
in Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, a position he held until he retired in 2007. Currently he is working as Professor Emeritus at the Stockholm University Demography Unit
Before he took his Dr.philos degree, he published a book called “Basic Concepts of Formal Demography”, which became the standard introductory text in demography in Norway. His article on Markov chain
Markov chain
A Markov chain, named after Andrey Markov, is a mathematical system that undergoes transitions from one state to another, between a finite or countable number of possible states. It is a random process characterized as memoryless: the next state depends only on the current state and not on the...
models has been named one of the four most significant papers in modern actuarial science. Hoem also made contributions to stochastic stable population theory, demographic incidence rates, and the statistical analysis of multiplicative models. He is best known for his work on event-history analysis - contributions that have helped shape demographic methodology.
Later in his career, Hoem turned towards social demography. In his papers on the impact of social policies on fertility, Hoem showed that the stringent application of appropriate methods to individual-level data greatly improve our understanding of the link between public policies, demographic behavior, and demographic outcomes.
In 2006 he was awarded the IUSSP Laureate
Laureate
In English, the word laureate has come to signify eminence or association with literary or military glory. It is also used for winners of the Nobel Prize.-History:...
Award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
in recognition of his achievements in scientific research.