In this reflection, I share my journey from being a participant in the first Connect Symposium in 2017 to returning as a junior organizer and lecturer in 2025. What began as a formative experience during my undergraduate studies became a turning point in my academic path, guiding me through a PhD and deeper engagement with the European research landscape. The symposium offered far more than lectures — it introduced me to the importance of science communication, regional cooperation, and networking, all of which shaped my career. Eight years later, I return to Neum alongside a student colleague I met during that first Connect, now ready to pass on what we once received. As we focus this year on “Towards the EU Research Area,” I hope our stories and experiences will inspire a new generation to see science not just as a profession, but as a shared, cross-border endeavor.

Since August 2022 customers have to be asked if they are interested in sustainable investment when entering a pension contract. Hence, the provider has to be prepared to offer suitable investment opportunities. Further, the provider has to manage the new risks and chances of those assets in the whole portfolio. We therefore especially look at possible consequences for optimal portfolio decisions of a life insurer and suggest modeling approaches for the evolution of the demand and the sustainability ratings for sustainable assets. We will solve various portfolio problems under sustainability constraints explicitly and suggest further research topics. As a special feature for a life insurer, we particularly look at the role of the actuarial reserve fund and the annual declaration of its return.