Universities Australia 2017–2020 Indigenous Strategy: a meta-synthesis of the issues and challenges

The University Australia (UA) 2017–2020 Indigenous Strategy has offered Australian universities a focus that would work to increase Indigenous participation in the higher education sector in Australia. Despite the high-level involvement and detailed monitoring by Universities Australia as the sector’s peak body, Australia’s universities have not made significant progress in achieving the targets in the strategic plan. Using a meta-synthesis methodological approach, we provide an overview of published reviews and research on increasing Indigenous participation in the higher education sector in Australia, with particular reference to the three initiative foci and targets in the UA 2017–2020 Indigenous Strategy. Findings revealed that Indigenous students’ experiences at university, the shortage of Indigenous academics, and the embedment of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are significant elements that affect the achievement of the UA targets. We conclude by discussing the implications and gaps in the existing UA strategies and offering recommendations to enable higher educator stakeholders to progress the Indigenous Strategy agenda.