Research · Practice · Motivation
Prof. Valentin Vasilev, PhD
Creator and driving force behind the Motivation 4.0 model
More than 25 years in human resource management and development — in lecture halls, municipal administrations, ministries and international research forums. I build organisations where people are motivated, connected and purposeful.
- 150+
- scientific publications
- 7
- monographs
- 1500+
- training participants
- 30+
- municipal administrations
About
A scholar in practice. A practitioner in science.
Born on 7 March 1974 in Lukovit, Bulgaria. I graduated from Aleko Konstantinov High School in Lukovit (1992) and earned a Master's degree in Public Administration from South-West University Neofit Rilski, Blagoevgrad (1999).
Between 2000 and 2021 I was part of South-West University Neofit Rilski, moving through every academic position — assistant, senior assistant, chief assistant and associate professor. I served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law and History (2010–2019) and Head of the National Security and Public Administration Department (2018).
From 2021 to 2025 I was Professor of National Security (Crisis Situations and Human Resource Management) at the University of Security and Economics, Plovdiv, and Head of its Centre for Leadership and Public Policies.
Alongside academia, I bring extensive public-sector practice: Deputy Mayor of Blagoevgrad Municipality (2007–2010), Public Mediator / Ombudsman of Blagoevgrad Municipality (2018–2021), lecturer and consultant to the Institute of Public Administration since 2013. I am the founder of VPV Consulting Team Ltd.
Professional path
1999
MA in Public Administration
South-West University Neofit Rilski, Blagoevgrad
2000–2021
Academic career: assistant → associate professor
South-West University Neofit Rilski
2006
PhD dissertation defended
Higher Attestation Commission
2007–2010
Deputy Mayor
Blagoevgrad Municipality
2010
Associate Professor
HR management in the public sector
2010–2019
Vice Dean
Faculty of Law and History, SWU
2018–2021
Public Mediator / Ombudsman
Blagoevgrad Municipality
2021–2025
Professor of National Security
USE Plovdiv · Centre for Leadership and Public Policies
2022
Motivation 4.0 model created
With Dr. Monika Icheva
2025
Motivation 4.0 registered as a brand
Bulgarian Patent Office
Original model
Motivation 4.0
A practical model for sustainable organisational and individual development
Together with Dr. Monika Icheva, I developed the Motivation 4.0 model in 2022 — a practical instrument for analysing employee motivation, building a motivational profile and designing targeted initiatives that improve motivation processes inside organisations.
In 2025 Motivation 4.0 was registered with the Bulgarian Patent Office as an independent brand. The Vasilev–Icheva–Serafimova team created two products: the book “Motivation 4.0 — a practical model for individual and organisational development” and the board game “Motivation 4.0 — an Awakener for sustainable organisational and individual development”.
Application and recognition
- Awarded in the good practice competition of the Institute of Public Administration.
- Implemented in Karlovo (2023), Maglizh (2024) and Ilinden District, Sofia Municipality (2024).
- Presented to more than 1500 participants at conferences, trainings and workshops.
Inspiring, yet clear
Language that inspires without losing precision.
Academic, not obscure
Rigorous foundations, no ivory-tower jargon.
Genuinely applicable
Tools, cases and exercises for everyday work.
Culture-fitting
Works in any organisation and management situation.
Expertise
Research and practice areas
- Human resource management and development
- Crisis management
- Emotional intelligence
- Contemporary motivation techniques
- Organisational behaviour
- Local public policies
- Public management
- Leadership
- Teams and team effectiveness
- Sustainability and green governance
- Corporate social responsibility
- Strategic management
- Smart technologies in management
- Change management
- Well-being practices and policies
How I can help
Trainings and workshops
Original programmes on motivation, leadership, team effectiveness and emotional intelligence.
Organisational consulting
Motivation diagnostics, motivational profiles and organisational development plans.
Keynotes and moderation
Conferences, round tables and public forums in Bulgaria and abroad.
Academic supervision and expertise
PhD supervision, scientific juries, peer review and project evaluation.
Research footprint
Scientometrics
Scopus
70 citations
13 publications · h-index 5
ResearchGate
573 citations
287 documents · h-index 15
Google Scholar
831 citations
h-index 15 · i10-index 26
Publish or Perish
486 citations
Harzing’s
- 7 successfully defended PhD students
- Member of more than 70 scientific juries
- Editorial board member of journals in Turkey, Romania, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Tanzania, Indonesia
- Joint research with scholars from Georgia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, Poland, Romania, North Macedonia and more
Recognition
Awards and honours
Certificate of Honour
Institute of Public Administration
“Inspiring Leader” award
Leaders Academy Club, Lukovit
Certificate of Honour for administrative capacity
Maglizh Municipality
“Agent of Change” laureate, Ambassador category
Social Future Foundation
“Ambassador of Emotional Intelligence”
Foundation for Developing Emotional Intelligence
“People of the Future” nominee, Science and Education
BusinessGlobal Magazine
Contact
Let's talk about motivation in your organisation
Trainings, consulting, keynotes and joint research projects — get in touch.
Motivation 4.0