What If Success in Academia Doesn't Follow a Straight Line?

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-25

What does it mean to build a successful academic career in entrepreneurship today? That question sat at the heart of the ECSB Professional Development Workshop (PDW), held at Trinity Business School in Dublin on May 14, 2026. About 20 people showed up — PhD researchers, early-career academics, seasoned scholars, speakers, and organizers. And together, they created something rare: a space to talk honestly about academic life and to imagine what entrepreneurship scholarship could become. ### The Myth of the Straight Path We're often told academic careers follow a neat line. Publish. Secure funding. Get promoted. Build an international reputation. Simple, right? Not even close. The workshop invited everyone to question that story and ask what success actually means to them. Through interactive sessions and creative activities, people acknowledged that academic careers rarely move in a straight line. They're full of achievement, uncertainty, transition — and sometimes feeling lost or disconnected from why you started. All of this happened against a higher education landscape shaped by performance metrics, publication rankings, research impact measures, and institutional expectations. Those things matter, sure. But participants reflected on how they can also narrow how scholarly success gets defined. Throughout the day, one theme kept coming back: developing an authentic scholarly identity, holding onto your values, and recognizing that meaningful academic careers can take many different forms. ### A Day of Reflection, Creativity, and Real Conversation The program mixed keynote contributions with interactive workshops, creative exercises, and open discussion. It kicked off with "Educaring from the Heart: How to Nurture Your Wellbeing and Rediscover Your Purpose in Education," led by Dr. Deirdre McGillicuddy from University College Dublin. Her session encouraged everyone to think about wellbeing, self-care, and purpose in academic life. It set a thoughtful, supportive tone for the day. After some informal networking over coffee, participants dove into "Through the Looking Glass" — a reflective activity that had people examining their own academic journeys and aspirations. > "The workshop reminded me that success isn't a checklist. It's something you define for yourself." Next up was Dr. Briga Hynes from the University of Limerick, leading "Getting to Where We Need To – A Gender Perspective." This sparked important conversations about gender, equity, and inclusion in academia — the structural barriers scholars face and the opportunities to build more inclusive environments. Then came "Picking up the Pieces," an activity designed to connect the morning's discussions with personal experience. It gave space to identify challenges, recognize resilience, and reflect on what's possible next. After lunch, Professor Gary Kerr from Atlantic Technological University delivered a lively, interactive session called "Playing the GAME: Understanding What Others Want… Shhhhhh." Through discussion and participation, attendees explored the unspoken expectations of institutions, reviewers, colleagues, and stakeholders — and how to navigate those systems without losing sight of your own values. The afternoon wrapped up with a creative exercise, "A Creative Pause – Vocalising What We Are Anticipating: Hanging Thoughts." People shared hopes, concerns, and ambitions for their future careers. These reflections turned into a collective expression of what the next generation of entrepreneurship scholars is reaching for. ### What This Means for the Future of Entrepreneurship Scholarship So, what's the takeaway? Academic careers don't have to follow a single template. Success can look like wellbeing, purpose, inclusion, and staying true to your values. The ECSB PDW showed that when scholars come together to reflect and create, they don't just imagine new possibilities — they start building them. If you're navigating your own academic path in entrepreneurship, remember: it's okay if it's not a straight line. In fact, it probably shouldn't be.