Despite the growing interest in knowledge management (KM) for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), research on this topic is still fragmented and loosely focused. This paper adds to this research by providing a state-of-the-art of the current literature and outlining overlooked areas of investigation in order to address further studies towards bridging this gap. To this purpose, through a systematic review process, 121 articles have been coded and analysed according to distinct dimensions. Findings reveal that, despite the growing trend of papers on the topic, research on KM in HEIs is still in its embryonic stage with high levels of heterogeneity and lack of wider theoretical constructs. Furthermore, a thematic analysis highlights six main research concepts, from which this paper derives a comprehensive framework integrating the key issues from the literature and suggesting new possible research avenues in the field.