Are you a doctoral student in entrepreneurship or small business management?
Apply for the ECSB Doctoral Workshop on Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management at RENT XL in Antwerp, Belgium on 18 November 2026.
Deadline for application: 1 July 2026. Please note that you need NOT wait to be accepted to the conference in order to apply for the Doctoral Workshop.
About the Doctoral Workshop
The Doctoral Workshop has a successful tradition at RENT. It represents a unique opportunity for doctoral students to present their thesis proposals and obtain useful insight into how their work can be improved and progressed as well as an opportunity for bouncing ideas off the experienced faculty. The workshop also facilitates the exchange of research experiences and new ideas in the fields of entrepreneurship and small business management. We particularly encourage students in the early stages of their research to participate as a way of launching themselves into the international research community. More about the workshop: ECSB – Doctoral Workshop on Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management at RENT XL.
Application process
Doctoral candidates interested in attending and presenting their research proposal (not the result of completed research!) should send a two-page abstract including information on when they commenced their Ph.D. study and when they expect to complete.
The abstract should be organized according to the following guidelines. It should explain:
- (i) the topicality of the research
- (ii) the theoretical background
- (iii) stating research question(s)
- (iv) the proposed methodology
- (v) expected contribution to the field.
The abstract should be sent by email to Professor Martina Battisti by 1 July 2026.
The number of participants is limited to 20 students. We assess the proposals based on quality and, if necessary, prioritize early-stage students. Applicants will be notified of acceptance of their proposal no later than 25 of July 2025. Immediately following receipt of acceptance, students are required to register formally for the Conference.
Accepted participants are expected to deliver an extended 6-page proposal by 1 September 2026. This will be used as the basis for the afternoon discussions and will be distributed to other doctoral students and the group session leaders.
Participation Fee
No fee is charged for participation in the Doctoral Workshop. However, participation in the RENT Conference is compulsory.
Upon acceptance to the Doctoral Workshop students qualify for a 200 euro reduction of the official conference fee, sponsored by ECSB. The reduced fee includes participation in the doctoral consortium, participation in the RENT conference, and one year’s full membership of ECSB.
Information on how to obtain the fee reduction will be provided together with the acceptance email. Please note though, that students do need NOT present a paper at the Conference itself to participate in the Doctoral Workshop, although this is encouraged.
