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Walan Mayiny: Indigenous leadership in higher education

Walan Mayiny, meaning strong people in Wiradjuri language, provides the Australian Higher Education sector with valuable understanding of the benefits Indigenous leadership brings to the sector, as well as society more broadly. The research incorporated the experiences of Vice-Chancellors, First Nations leaders across four continents, Indigenous academics and recruitment professionals. The study found senior Indigenous leaders are required to possess all the attributes expected of other members of Senior Executive whilst also possessing an additional set of personal and cultural competencies. Importantly, Indigenous leadership brings significant institutional benefits and should be incorporated at the highest level in organisations.

Project Aims

This research aims to:

  1. Examine Indigenous leadership in higher education contexts.
  2. Explore the roles, responsibilities and impacts of senior Indigenous appointments in Australian universities.
  3. Establish a model of best practice for the inclusion of Indigenous Leadership in higher education governance structures.
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Research Team

Professor Michelle Trudgett - Chief Investigator

Professor Michelle Trudgett (she/her), a Wiradjuri scholar and senior executive, serves as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership at ºÚÁÏÉç and sits on the GO Foundation Board. She is recognised as one of Australia’s leading researchers in Indigenous education and leadership, with numerous honours including the National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year, the Neville Bonner Award for Teaching Excellence, and the UNE Distinguished Alumni Award.

Professor Susan Page – Chief Investigator

Professor Susan Page (she/her), Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Education, is an Aboriginal Australian academic whose research examines Indigenous peoples’ experiences of learning and academic work in higher education, as well as student learning in Indigenous Studies. She is internationally recognised as a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has received the national Neville Bonner Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Associate Professor Stacey Coates – PhD student (2019-2023)

Associate Professor Stacey Kim Coates (she/her), PhD GAICD, a proud Wiradjuri scholar, is recognised for her expertise in Indigenous leadership, governance and systemic change within higher education institutions. Her scholarship includes the development of Indigenous Institutional Theory, a framework that reconceptualises how Indigenous leadership and knowledge systems interact with ºÚÁÏÉç institutions. She has also contributed extensively to the ARC-funded Walan Mayiny project on Indigenous leadership in higher education, and her work continues to shape national conversations on Indigenous leadership, equity and governance across the sector.

Dr Rhonda Povey – Senior Research Officer

Dr Rhonda Povey (she/her) is a researcher based on Dharug land with extensive experience in Indigenous education, specialising in Indigenous oral histories and the history of ºÚÁÏÉç education in remote ºÚÁÏÉç Australian communities. She has worked on multiple ARC-funded projects with Professors Trudgett and Page and currently contributes to the Yarruwala project on Indigenous higher education leadership.

Methodology

This research took a qualitative approach (Silverman, 2013) to understanding the importance of senior Indigenous leadership in universities. Qualitative methods are particularly useful to explore, and analyse complex real-world issues (Bazeley, 2013).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were respected at all times, with a key focus on making their voices and experiences centre in this project. The AIATSIS and NHRMC Guidelines were followed to ensure that the Indigenous participants are respected for Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing (Martin, 2003).

Publications

The evolution of recognised Indigenous Leaders within Australian Universities.
Coates, S.K., Trudgett, M. & Page, S. (2020). Indigenous higher education sector: The evolution of recognised Indigenous Leaders within Australian Universities. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 1–7.
Examining Indigenous leadership in the academy: A methodological approach.
Coates, S. K., Trudgett, M., & Page, S. (2021). Examining Indigenous leadership in the academy: A methodological approach. Australian Journal of Education, 65(1), 84-102.
Talent war: recruiting Indigenous senior executives in Australian Universities.
Trudgett, M., Page, S., & Coates, S. K. (2021). Talent war: recruiting Indigenous senior executives in Australian Universities. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 43(1), 110–124.
Islands in the stream: Indigenous academic perceptions of Indigenous senior leadership roles.
Coates, S. K., Trudgett, M., & Page, S. (2022). Islands in the stream: Indigenous academic perceptions of Indigenous senior leadership roles. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(5), 1451–1467.
On the front foot: Indigenous leadership in Aotearoa/New Zealand higher education.
Povey, R., Trudgett, M., Page, S., & Coates, S. K. (2022). On the front foot: Indigenous leadership in Aotearoa/New Zealand higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(6), 2048–2063.
Where we’re going, not where we’ve been: Indigenous leadership in Canadian higher education.
Povey, R., Trudgett, M., Page, S., & Coates, S. K. (2022). Where we’re going, not where we’ve been: Indigenous leadership in Canadian higher education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 25(1), 38-54.
Great expectations: Senior Indigenous leadership positions in higher education.
Trudgett, M., Page, S., & Coates, S. K. (2022). Great expectations: Senior Indigenous leadership positions in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 44(1), 90–106.
Peak bodies: Indigenous representation in the Australian higher education sector.
Trudgett, M., Page, S., & Coates, S. K. (2022). Peak bodies: Indigenous representation in the Australian higher education sector. Australian Journal of Education, 66(1), 40-56.
Ain’t no mountain high enough: perceived impact of Senior Indigenous Leadership on aspiring of Indigenous academics within Australian universities.
Coates, S. K., Trudgett, M., & Page, S. (2023). Ain’t no mountain high enough: perceived impact of Senior Indigenous Leadership on aspiring of Indigenous academics within Australian universities. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 28(5), 1139–1153.
Indigenous institutional theory: A new theoretical framework and methodological tool.
Coates, S.K., Trudgett, M. & Page, S. (2023). Indigenous institutional theory: A new theoretical framework and methodological tool. Australian Educational Researcher, 50, 903–920.
Paying-it-forward: Indigenous leadership in American higher education.
Coates, S.K., Trudgett, M. & Page, S. (2023). Indigenous institutional theory: A new theoretical framework and methodological tool. Australian Educational Researcher,  50, 903–920.
Workers united: a non-assimilatory approach to Indigenous leadership in higher education.
Povey, R., Trudgett, M., Page, S., & Coates, S. K. (2024). Workers united: a non-assimilatory approach to Indigenous leadership in higher education.  International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education,  37(10), 2909–2925.
A model of senior Indigenous leadership in Australian higher education: An Indigenous academic perspective.
Coates, S. K., Trudgett, M., & Page, S. (2025). A model of senior Indigenous leadership in Australian higher education: An Indigenous academic perspective. Journal of Leadership Education, 24(2), 125–142.
Tour of duty:(re) positioning senior Indigenous leadership roles in the Australian higher education sector.
Trudgett, M., Page, S., Povey, R., & Coates, S. K. (2025). Tour of duty:(re) positioning senior Indigenous leadership roles in the Australian higher education sector.  Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management,  47(5), 616-628.