Higher education leadership for equity, diversity and inclusion: A systematic review of literature from 2000 to 2024

With the changing demographics of student and staff populations, evolving legal frameworks and political resistance there is a pressing need to assess how higher education leadership approaches equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). This paper provides a systematic review of English-language literature on higher education leadership for EDI from 2000 to 2024, covering a total of 68 works, including 38 journal articles, 25 book chapters, and five theses. Our review highlights the progress made in higher education leadership for EDI scholarship while acknowledging the presence of disparities concerning authorship, the focused region of the papers, and methodological preferences. The review identifies leadership challenges and synthesizes some effective leadership styles, leadership strategies and leadership development strategies for promoting EDI as well as how leaders adjust EDI strategies against various pressures but also argues that their relevance and effectiveness are unknown in wider contexts. Nevertheless, by understanding the trends presented in the review and addressing existing limitations in research, higher education policy makers, leaders and scholars can contribute to the promotion of effective leadership practices on a global scale. The review also emphasizes the importance of ongoing research, including in the underrepresented regions, and cross-regional collaboration to build a more comprehensive knowledgebase. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).