Christian Graf – författare

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2004 in the subject Computer Science - Applied, grade: 1,0, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Institut fur Simulation und Grafik), language: English, abstract: Recent research has concentrated on the question how virtual characters ( agents') and their set of reaction can be enhanced to better suit a certain purpose in a virtual reality environment (VRE). Another field of active research is augmented reality (AR), where computer generated graphics is superimposed over a real world image. Thus AR is able to add detail and enhance the underlying information. Our idea is to create an augmented reality environment (ARE) with an agent for conversation centred areas such as presentations. Our goal is to find evidence in literature and research how agents are employed as effective means of communication. This includes a review of existing systems and a summary of user studies. We will a look at combining AR technology with agents, and what special issues arise. With this background we will develop design objectives and requirements of agents in AR. A prototype implementation of an agent architecture with a digital character as user front-end will be implemented. From our literature review and our practical implementation we will identify a list of fruitful areas of research and derive a list of challenging new questions.

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: 1,3, University of Bamberg, language: English, abstract: The United Nations (UN) in international relations is considered to be a supranational organization. Currently the UN consist of 193 Member States and it stresses out four main purposes, which are maintaining peace and security, developing friendly relations amongst states, helping states to work together and being a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations (cf. www.un.org/en/aboutun). Additionally the UN is seen as a collective security system, which offers states to settle down any disputes and for solving social, economic, humanitarian and ecological problems on international level (cf. Gareis/Varwick 2006: 85). According to this purposes, the UN has acted and authorized multilateral interventions in many states, which were affected by conflicts. The Libyan conflict in 2011, as an example, was one of the cases where the UN has responded to. The actions and the multilateral intervention in Libya leaves questions. How does the UN shape the behavior of its Member States and why does the UN act in general? The theory of social constructivism by Alexander Wendt, can provide an explanation to these questions. The theory defines balances of power between states and explains the behavior of states. Furthermore it claims that international relations are social and the international system is constituted by ideas (cf. Jackson/Sorensen 2006: 162). But the main question which shall be discussed in this term paper is therefore: How can the theory of social constructivism explain the actions by the United Nations Security Council in Libya?"e; First of all core assumptions of social constructivism has to be discussed in order to explain further analysis of this term paper. After the illustration of the core assumptions of social constructivism, the powers and functions of the UN Security Council shall be described, because the Security Council, as one of the most important main body of the UN, is the only executive body that act regarding any threat of peace and security. Thereafter the situation in Libya, as the empirical example have to be mentioned. What exactly happened in Libya and what did the UN especially the Security Council do? Altogether with the core assumptions of social constructivism, the theoretical knowledge of the Security Council and the information of the Libyan conflict, the main question shall be answered. At the end the conclusion shall summarize the term paper s outcome of the analysis.

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: 1,7, University of Bamberg, language: English, abstract: To deal with terrorism, a state needs to arm and secure itself for its defense against it, because they are existing threats. Extraordinary measures, which are nothing else than counter-terrorism policies, are important and necessary for fighting against terrorism in order to be secure. The fact that terrorism occurs worldwide and is becoming more important for states it is necessary to have effective counter-terrorism policies. But states response differently towards threats and especially to terrorism acts. The interesting question that will be discussed is: how can the divergence of counter- terrorism policy be explained? Terrorism as a threat primarily to states can occur internationally or domestically, and by defining terrorism, a state can respond to and combat terrorism in its own way, and this can be a potential factor for explaining a divergence of counter.-terrorism policy, but this will be not the emphasis of this term paper. The theoretical framework for explaining a divergence of counter- terrorism policy is the theory of securitization by Barry Buzan, Ole Waever and Jaap de Wilde, which contains assumptions of the theory of social constructivism. Inasmuch social constructivism by Alexander Wendt tells something about political culture. It neither tells much about security nor how to deal with threats especially to terrorism acts; that is why a widening analysis for the term security is needed in order to explain a divergence of counter-terrorism policy and the theory of securitization. Theory of securitization exactly explains everything about how a security term becomes a relevant issue. The frame for securitization, as written before, are core assumptions of social constructivism and those are necessary to discuss, in order to understand further explanations. This is why this term paper begins with the theoretical framework of constructivism. After the theoretical framework has been discussed, two states as empirical examples, which are the USA and Spain, shall give a better view of how states differs from their counter-terrorism policies, regarding to their different facing on terrorism acts, that are taken place. At the end, a conclusion shall repeat the core assumptions of the theoretical framework and explanations and in addition gives further impulses on other fields of analysis.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - Region: Near East, Near Orient, grade: 2,3, University of Bamberg, language: English, abstract: Since the establishment of an Israeli state on May 14, 1948, there has been conflict between the Israeli and the Palestinian people.The conflict was fueled by Israel s occupation of the historic regions of Palestine in 1967, which included the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are controlled by Israel. Today many Palestinian refugees are still suffering under the military pressure and of the blockades of the borders by Israel. It is not surprising that the Palestinian people want to free themselves from the occupation by Israel and establish their own autonomous state. That is why the Palestine Liberation Organization , was established in 1969 that saw a military fight and the destruction of Israel as the only options for liberating Palestine at that time. In 1974, the PLO indirectly recognized Israel as a state. The Arabic states liked the idea that a national authority should be established in the free parts of the Palestinian territories. Hence the Arabic States recognized the PLO as the only legitimate representation of the Palestinians. Over time, many Palestinian parties were established such as Fatah, who articulated and transferred its interests through the PLO and constituted the government of the Palestinians before the elections in 2006. Hamas, as the major opponent of Fatah, which was listed as a terrorist organization by the international community until today, was elected as the (quasi) government in the Gaza Strip in 2006. Since then, tensions between Palestinians (respectively Hamas) and Israel increased. After the elections of Hamas, there have been several attacks by Israel and Hamas. In November 2012, Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire. However, both Israel and Hamas launched minor attacks against each other. In doing so, both have violated the agreements of the ceasefire, which still remained at that time. It can be said that a cold peace, existed between both Hamas and Israel. Until the outbreak of the Gaza War in 2014, there have been no major military operations by Israel and no major rocket attacks by Hamas. It can be said that a cold peace existed between both the Hamas and Israel. However, on June the 8th, 2014, Hamas fired large numbers of rockets into Israel and initiated the

Im Juli 2007 legte die EU-Kommission unter dem Arbeitstitel "Solvency II" einen Vorschlag zur grundlegenden Reform der Versicherungsaufsicht in der Europäischen Union vor. Bis 2010 könnte diese Solvency II-Richtlinie verabschiedet und in nationales Recht umgesetzt werden. Auf Versicherer kommen erhöhte Anforderungen an die Bestimmung des Mindesteigenkapitals und an interne Risikomanagementsysteme zu. Auch die Publizitätsvorschriften werden deutlich verschärft. Leitidee von Solvency II soll jedoch ein flexibles Aufsichtssystem sein, das mehr auf Grundsätzen, denn auf starren Regeln basiert. Versicherungen können also den konkreten Umgang mit den neuen Bestimmungen in erheblichem Maße selbst bestimmen. Christian Graf berichtet praxisnah, welche Auswirkungen auf die Unternehmensführung sich aus Solvency II bereits heute andeuten. Zentrale Aspekte sind dabei veränderte Anforderungen an das strategische Management und die wertorientierte Unternehmenssteuerung im Versicherungssektor.