A new research paper by Prof. Nevyana Krasteva, DSc, Chief Assist. Prof. Aleksey Potebnya, PhD, Assist. Prof. Teodor Daskalov, and PhD student Tinka Churkova has been published in IEEE Xplore as part of the proceedings of the 2026 International Conference on Revolutionary Artificial Intelligence and Future Applications (Rev-AI 2026), held in Varna, Bulgaria.

Entitled “AI-Supported Gamified Reflection for Personal Branding Development in Early Career Researchers: A Pilot Study”, the paper examines how artificial intelligence and gamification can be combined with reflective learning to support personal branding and professional identity development among early-career researchers.

The study addresses an increasingly relevant aspect of academic professional development: how researchers can effectively understand, articulate, and communicate their professional identity in a rapidly evolving digital environment. By bringing together artificial intelligence, gamification, reflective practice, and personal branding, the research explores an emerging approach to supporting researchers as they navigate the early stages of their academic careers.

The paper was presented as part of the scientific program of Rev-AI 2026 on 4 June 2026, under Paper ID 9237.

Held in Varna from 3–5 June 2026, Rev-AI 2026 was a hybrid international conference co-sponsored by the IEEE Bulgarian Section. The conference brought together researchers, academics, and professionals working across a broad range of fields related to artificial intelligence and its future applications. With an acceptance rate of 20.5%, the conference provided a competitive international forum for presenting new research and emerging ideas in the field.

Publication Details

Krasteva, N., Potebnya, A., Daskalov, T., & Churkova, T. (2026). “AI-Supported Gamified Reflection for Personal Branding Development in Early Career Researchers: A Pilot Study.” 2026 International Conference on Revolutionary Artificial Intelligence and Future Applications (Rev-AI), Varna, Bulgaria, pp. 160–167. DOI: 10.1109/Rev-AI70456.2026.11622203.

The full publication record is available through IEEE Xplore.

The paper is expected to undergo further processing for inclusion in international bibliographic and abstracting databases.

The publication represents a further contribution to the growing body of research exploring how artificial intelligence can support not only research and teaching, but also the professional development, self-reflection, and visibility of researchers in the digital age.