Middle Career Workshop

The Mid-Career Faculty Workshop (MFW) at ECIS 2026 continues a successful series of events initiated at the AIS conferences designed to support Information Systems (IS) scholars navigating the mid-stage of their academic journey. This phase often represents both achievement and transition — a time when scholars have built a solid foundation in research, teaching, and service, yet face new questions about direction, leadership, and long-term impact.

In an era shaped by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, data-driven research methods, and digital collaboration technologies, the academic environment is evolving faster than ever before. Global events such as geopolitical, environmental and economic instability, and the accelerating digitalization of all societal aspects have reshaped expectations, working models, and measures of scholarly success and research impact. The workshop provides a reflective and collegial space for mid-career faculty to assess how these changes intersect with their aspirations and professional pathways.

The ECIS 2026 MFW is anchored around three interconnected themes — reflection, renewal, and strategic growth — which capture the essence of professional development at this stage of an academic career.

Reflection refers to the process of critically examining one’s professional trajectory, values, and contributions in the broader academic and societal landscape. For mid-career faculty, reflection involves taking a step back from daily pressures to consider questions such ass:

• What has defined my work so far — in research, teaching, and service?
• How have changes in the field and in technology shaped my role?
• What do I want my scholarly legacy to be in the coming decade?.

In essence, reflection is about gaining self-awareness and clarity — understanding where one stands and why, before deciding where to go next.

Renewal captures the idea of reinvigoration and rediscovery — a conscious effort to refresh one’s motivation, learning, and engagement. It often means:

• Reconnecting with the curiosity and purpose that first drove one’s academic journey,
• Exploring new methods, collaborations, or topics (for instance, engaging with digital transformation, AI ethics, or sustainability),
• Developing resilience and well-being in the face of growing complexity and institutional demands.

Renewal is not about radical change for its own sake; it is about sustaining vitality and relevance in a career that spans decades.

Strategic growth focuses on intentional advancement and influence — shaping one’s next phase of academic life with foresight and alignment between personal goals and institutional or societal opportunities. It involves:

• Setting clear priorities for scholarly impact and leadership,
• Positioning research within emerging global and interdisciplinary agendas,
• Expanding networks, mentoring others, and assuming roles that amplify one’s contribution.

Strategic growth connects personal reflection and professional renewal with deliberate action — ensuring that the mid-career stage becomes a platform for sustained influence and fulfillment.

Together, these three principles form the foundation of the ECIS 2026 MFW, guiding participants as they navigate an academic landscape transformed by digital innovation, global uncertainty, and shifting expectations of academic value and impact. A key challenge for many mid-term faculty is the balancing of those career aspirations and professional pathways with a demanding academic environment characterised by limited resources with many demands on time for services and other obligations. How to prioritize activities and yet still fulfill the many obligations is challenging, particularly for Mid-Career Faculty.

The ECIS 2026 MFW is a half day event that builds on the proven interactive format of previous editions. It combines short inspirational talks from senior IS scholars with interactive panel discussions and small-group sessions designed for personal reflection and experience sharing.

Through dialogue and peer mentoring, the workshop cultivates a supportive network of IS academics who are collectively redefining what it means to thrive at mid-career — in a world where both technology and academia are undergoing profound transformation.

The workshop is aimed at mid-career IS scholars — typically those who have achieved tenure or equivalent standing and are seeking to redefine or broaden their impact in the field.

Participation in the MFW is included in the ECIS 2026 registration fee.  Interested participants must apply by25 March 2026 via the following application form.

Workshop acceptance notification will be sent by 31 March 2026.