The University of Sydney聽has聽launched聽a聽refreshed聽Indigenous聽One Sydney, Many People聽Strategy聽2025 - 2032,聽outlining its approach to聽transformational education, research聽excellence聽and deeper聽partnerships.聽
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott聽said, 鈥淥ne Sydney, Many People聽makes聽it clear that Indigenous knowledges and leadership are fundamental to our聽future.
鈥淭he University's campuses stand on lands that are home to the oldest continuous cultures in the world, and we celebrate this culture and聽how central it is聽to our work and study.聽
鈥淩ecognising and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges is what is needed for us all to belong here now, no matter how or when we came.聽聽
鈥淚 thank the many staff who contributed to shaping a strategy that is institution-wide, ambitious and accountable and I look forward to seeing its implementation across our community.鈥
Left to right: Karl Hoffman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services), Professor Reuben Bolt, and Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott at the launch of the One Sydney, Many People strategy. Photo credit: The University of Sydney/Matthew Venables
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LinkThe refreshed聽One Sydney, Many People聽strategy聽aligns with the聽University鈥檚聽Sydney in 2032聽strategy to bring together our strategic聽objectives聽under four integrated pillars and sets clear direction on the work that we will undertake over the coming years:
- Education is transformational 鈥 enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to thrive
- Research excellence 鈥 elevating 65,000 years of Indigenous knowledge into world-class research
- Partnerships 鈥 building trust, sharing聽knowledge聽and creating lasting impact
- Governance and leadership 鈥 embedding Indigenous leadership and cultural integrity across the institution.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor聽(Indigenous Strategy and Services),聽Professor Reuben Bolt, said:聽鈥淭his strategy聽represents聽a step-change in how Indigenous leadership is understood and embedded at Sydney.
鈥淥ne Sydney, Many People聽commits聽us to Indigenous leadership 鈥 not as an add-on, but as core business,鈥澛燩rofessor Bolt聽said. 鈥淚t recognises the profound contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to this place, and challenges us to lead with integrity and deepen our partnerships.聽
鈥淭hrough this strategy, we invite our whole community to walk together, to listen, learn and take shared responsibility in building a聽University聽that honours Indigenous knowledges now, and shapes the future of our聽University鈥
One Sydney, Many People commits us to Indigenous leadership 鈥 not as an add-on, but as core business
Professor Reuben Bolt
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services)
Delivering outcomes
The new strategy builds on the outcomes of the聽previous聽One聽Sydney聽Many聽People聽2021 鈥 2024聽strategy,聽which delivered strong, measurable progress聽reinforcing our leadership in聽Indigenous higher education.聽
Under the聽previous聽strategy,聽Indigenous student enrolments increased by 18聽percent聽including 35聽percent聽growth in regional and remote participation. Student success rates reached聽93.3聽percent,聽while completions聽among Indigenous graduates increased by聽33聽percent聽since 2021.聽Targeted聽outreach and entry pathways strengthened the future pipeline, with Indigenous enrolments up 36聽percent聽over three years. Throughout the聽previous聽strategy,聽residential programs聽for聽Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander聽high school students聽contributed to聽a 41聽percent聽improvement in offer-to-enrolment conversion.
These outcomes were underpinned by sustained investment in culturally grounded support,聽partnerships聽and governance reform. The聽University鈥檚聽Gadigal Centre聽continued to drive student success and belonging, supported by proactive, data-informed support systems and聽expanded capacity. Financial聽assistance聽proved critical to retention, with 44 percent of Indigenous undergraduates receiving degree-duration scholarships and retention rising to 85 percent. Alongside this, the University advanced Indigenous workforce development, community partnerships, curriculum Indigenisation, and major policy and governance reforms.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services), Professor Reuben Bolt, and Karl Hoffman attend a Smoking Ceremony ahead of the launch of the One Sydney, Many People Strategy. Photo credit: The University of Sydney/Matthew Venables
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LinkKarl Hoffman, Senior Manager, Strategy, said the latest endorsement from the University Executive and Senate reflects the collective effort behind the strategy and its clear direction for the years ahead.
鈥淭his new iteration of聽One Sydney, Many People聽is the result of deep consultation, careful listening and genuine collaboration across the University,鈥 Karl said. 鈥淚t provides a clear, accountable framework that brings our Indigenous strategy together and sets out how we will deliver meaningful, measurable change over the next seven years. Thank you to the many staff, students, and partners who contributed through consultations,聽workshops聽and feedback during the strategy鈥檚 development.鈥
Over the coming months, teams across the University will聽work together to design action plans and聽align delivery with聽the Sydney in 2032聽strategy. Implementation will be supported by robust governance arrangements and formal reviews scheduled for 2028 and 2031.
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