An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.
We built this thing Ep5: The age of consent: When your social media post causes a national reckoning with Chanel Contos
When Chanel Contos first hit post on an Instagram poll in 2021, she had no idea of the cultural reckoning she was about to unleash. She asked a simple question, “Have you or has anyone close to you ever been sexually assaulted by someone who went to an all-boys school in Sydney?”. But the responses were overwhelming. So much so, that she had to create a website to collect over 6,700 testimonies. This led to the founding of Teach Us Consent.
Now, five years on Chanel has spearheaded an organisation at the forefront of dismantling sexual violence. She sat down with host Justine Rogers to discuss her journey from UNSW commerce and arts student to tackling consent in Australia and founding a grassroots campaign that has grown into an international movement.
Please be aware that this episode discusses sexual abuse and trauma which may be distressing for some people. Resources and support can be found at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) (https://1800respect.org.au/).
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt (https://unswcentreforideas.com/article/wbtt).
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10 Sept 2026
We built this thing Ep4: The ethical executive: when your moral compass guides your career decisions with Raji Ambikairajah
Raji Ambikairajah has had a very successful career. She was awarded NSW Woman of the Year for her work with Room to Read, she has a PhD in electrical engineering from UNSW, she’s been the CEO of several start-ups, and she’s been on company boards since she was in her 20s. But if you asked her right after graduating what she wanted to do, she wouldn’t have been able to tell you. In fact, she was one of the few graduates in her year without a job lined up. What makes Raji stand out has been a clear moral compass that has guided her across careers, companies and boardrooms.
On this episode of We built this thing, Raji chats with host Justine Rogers about letting your moral compass guide your career decisions. Tune in to hear how she committed to donating her time, treasure or talent from the very beginning of her career. Don’t miss her advice for dealing with an uncertain future and building a career that may not be linear but makes sense to you.
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt (https://unswcentreforideas.com/article/wbtt).
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
2 Sept 2026
Daniel Joinbee: Indigenous aerospace trailblazer
From a family story rooted in Yarrabah, to the lawns of the White House in Washington DC, hear the incredible story of Daniel Joinbee, a proud Gunggandji man, Royal Australian Air Force veteran, and founder of Australia’s first and only 100% Aboriginal-owned aerospace consultancy and Indigenous youth program. Daniel and host Jonathan Webb will also discuss enabling Indigenous communities to blaze their own trails through empowering programs like Raising Horizons.
For more UNSW Centre for Ideas podcasts, visit unsw.to/cfi-podcast (https://unswcentreforideas.com/podcasts)
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Who has been a guest on UNSW Centre for Ideas
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jeanette Winterson
Toby Walsh
Norman Erikson Pasaribu
Dylin Hardcastle
Colum McCann
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
58,729,370
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 93 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
95
Social presence
94
YouTube
93
Engagement
89
Contact UNSW Centre for Ideas
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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