The ABC of research across career stages - Late career

Last of four posts on navigating the sometimes choppy waters of research (and academia) across career stages

Anne-Wil Harzing - Wed 25 Jun 2025 10:02 (updated Wed 25 Jun 2025 10:44)

How do we define the late career stage? That very much depends on the personal, institutional and country context. But generally, I am talking about academics at professorial (Senior Associate Professor or full Professor) level who are around 20-25 years into their career. But some academics might still be at the mid-career stage, even after 20-30 years in academia, and that’s absolutely fine. They might still find some of the tips here useful.

So, what are the key recommendations at this career stage? Well, some things don't change; several of the ECR and especially MCR lessons will still apply. However, what I want to focus on here is an additional role that I think is very important for late career academics, which is switching from a focus on your own career to supporting the career of others.

A – Amplify the voices of junior academics

First of all, it is now your responsibility to help others in their research careers. You can do this in several ways. Here are some examples, but be creative, you might discover very different ways to support more junior academics:

Collaboration on publications and grant applications, allowing juniors learn the craft through working with seniors. Make sure though that this is a real collaboration, going beyond just giving a few comments on their writing.
Moving from mentoring to sponsoring your mentees. Really think about what would help them to progress in their careers. For instance, most senior academics receive far more invitations than they can accept. Why not recommend your sponsees for some of them? Your recommendation counts.
Improving their visibility by sharing their work and achievements on social media, writing to their line manager, or writing a LinkedIn recommendation for them (see also Using LinkedIn recommendations to support others).

B – Build bridges between individuals, disciplines/fields, and communities

Second, I suggest you start seeing yourself as a bridge-builder. As a senior academic you have a large store of knowledge and are part of a multi-facetted web of relationships. Use that knowledge and these relationships to help others. You can connect individuals with each other, or you can even set up dedicated networks yourself. I have done this for instance with CYGNA (see About Cygna).

However, you can also play a role in connecting disciplines, research topics, paradigms, and methods. More generally you can afford to be a bit more adventurous in your research. Or you could be a linchpin in connecting academics and policy makers or practitioners, or simply connect academics in different geographical communities. The latter is particularly effective if you have worked in different countries yourself.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you create synergies by connecting entities that would both benefit from these connections.

C – Contribute (more) to research eco-systems

Finally, I consider it a core responsibility for senior academics to take on a bigger role in sustaining and improving research eco-systems. There are lots of ways we can contribute. The mix of what we do will depend on our own skills, connections and preferences.

You can take on leadership positions in your own institution or the wider academic community. You can contribute to wider society as a public intellectual. Or you could focus on building up the next generation of academics through mentorship or sponsorship.

And remember that a late career stage can often span two decades or more. So, you can do all of these, but you don’t need to do all of them at the same time, or with the same intensity.

Late career key word: Legacy!

We can summarize this career stage with one word: Legacy! Towards the end of our research careers, we still have a bit of green and yellow in us, a bit of the early and mid-career researcher. We still need to ask questions, especially about things that – being older – we don’t relate to intuitively, such as new methods or technologies. We still need to balance many different plates in the air, both professionally and personally.

But we now have a more complete idea of what academic research and careers are all about. We can offer that as a gift to the next generation of academics. Give that gift before it is too late! There is nothing more beautiful than seeing your work live on in the minds and hands of others.

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Anne-Wil Harzing is Emerita Professor of International Management at Middlesex University, London. She is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business, a select group of distinguished AIB members who are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the scholarly development of the field of international business. In addition to her academic duties, she also maintains the Journal Quality List and is the driving force behind the popular Publish or Perish software program.

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