The federal government has established an advisory council tasked with doubling the number of Indigenous students in Australian universities.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Advisory Council is made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous members, all of whom are education and business leaders.
The council will work to increase the number of Indigenous students and staff at universities to the national parity rate of 2.2 per cent, the government said on 17 December.
“We know that equipping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with the skills needed to take up professional and leadership roles in universities, business and government will help address disadvantage in the community. That’s why boosting the number of Indigenous students at university is a key component of the Government’s ambition to close the gap,” said Chris Evans, minister for tertiary education.