From Psych to Tech: Alumnus Samuil Pavlevchev on Life After WVPU

Webster Vienna Private University (WVPU) alumnus Samuil Pavlevchev is on a path of lifelong learning, beginning his higher education journey in Palais Wenkheim and now employed by a software company in London.

Originally from a small Bulgarian town near Sofia, Pavlevchev began his studies at WVPU after receiving the Borealis Social Scholarship. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy.

"During my studies, I had the fantastic opportunity to volunteer at Webster Vienna’s CanBe (Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Behavior) Lab, eventually becoming the team’s lead researcher," Pavlevchev said.

"I remember all the long days spent working with my team of friends in the CanBe Lab. Sometimes an entire day wouldn’t be enough, and we would pack our computers and move to someone’s flat to order takeaway and continue analyzing all the brain activity recorded that day."

One particularly late night even led to a small but memorable kitchen fire, a minor incident among the group of hardworking students that Pavlevchev will never forget. He cherishes the closeness of his team, and their work went on to be published in a scientific journal.

"After years of hard work, my team and I presented our research at a number of neuroscience-related conferences and even published a paper in a scientific journal," he said. "In this research paper, we hypothesize about neurophysiological evidence for the brain’s ability to process words unconsciously."

Inspired by his experience at WVPU in philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology, Samuil moved to London after graduation. He recently completed a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree at the UK’s prestigious Kingston University Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy. 

The move to a new, bustling city was a bit of an adjustment.

"It was WVPU that prepared me and taught me how to thrive in an international environment: how to learn quickly, build relationships and multi-task," Pavlevchev said. "Beyond doubt, Webster is the best place to prepare oneself for a move to an international city."

"It was all the fantastic friends I made at WVPU that convinced me of the beauty of multiculturalism and diversity. I now know how much one misses out by not opening up to and experiencing the knowledge and pleasures that different cultures and diverse people have to offer."

Thanks to his experience analyzing hundreds of data sets in the WVPU CanBe Lab, Pavlevchev developed a knack for coding/computer programming. In addition to his MPhil studies, he signed up for a coding academy that ultimately led to a professional diploma in software development. He is now employed by a software company and works with technologies such as Python and JavaScript.

"I have not abandoned my passion for philosophy, as Dostoyevsky and Freud still lay on my bedside table and my library is full of Lacan, Nietzsche, and Kant," Pavlevchev said.

In his free time, Pavlevchev is also translating Bulgarian literature into English and working to publish his MPhil dissertation as a book.