The Next Gen of Social Impact Leaders: Reflections on next steps

CSI UNSW Undergraduate Leadership Fellows reflect on how social impact is shaped across Australia.

Published on the 23 April 2026

Image for use as the hero image for an article about UNSW CSI Undergraduate Leadership Fellows featuring Dr Rachel Bacon.

2026-2027 CSI Undergraduate Leadership Fellowship applications now open

Are you a Business School student? Do you want to level up your leadership skills, expand your network and receive career development opportunities?

If your answer is yes, then the CSI Undergraduate Leadership Fellowship is perfect for you!

Apply for this competitive extracurricular program and selected candidates will take part in a unique blend of leadership development opportunities that includes:

Professional research employment at the Centre for Social Impact
Networking and mentoring with industry leaders
Cultural competency training with Nura Gili
Federal Government visits including meetings with political representatives
Career development extras, such as professional headshots, and resume and LinkedIn support

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Change, from the outside, can look straightforward; driven by good ideas, evidence and intention. But stepping inside Federal Parliament reveals something far more complex.

As part of the Centre for Social Impact UNSW Undergraduate Leadership Fellowship program, students as the next generation of social impact leaders were given the opportunity to travel to Federal Parliament to engage directly with national leaders, including David Gonski, Dr Rachel Bacon and The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh.

2026 Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Jasmine Nhan, Rehansa Gamagedara and Sameer Dalal, share their insights into what it takes to create social impact.

How is systems change even made possible?

At a national level, impact is not driven by isolated initiatives, but shaped through policy, law and institutional design.

Reflecting on his conversations in Parliament, Sameer points to the scale at which government decisions influence everyday outcomes.

"Conversations with Dr Andrew Leigh and Dr Rachel Bacon highlighted how impact at the government level moves beyond individual initiatives to system-wide change, particularly through economic and regulatory settings."

"This experience challenged my assumption that large scale change is often organic or incremental… impactful change at scale is not accidental but carefully designed and led."

For Jasmine, the experience revealed a different dimension of systems change, the people behind it.

"Social impact at a national level requires the contributions of large teams… it is shaped by the people working behind the change, and by the leaders who create a sense of purpose within those teams."

UNSW CSI UG Leadership Fellows with The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh.

The location of your impact and connecting to community

While systems set direction, social impact is sustained through communities.

For Rehansa, the conversations in Canberra brought into focus the role of everyday connection and what it takes to build a stronger culture of giving in Australia.

"Australia needs 'third spaces' because where there are third spaces, communities are built. Strong communities provide psychological safety, opportunities for meaningful connections and to strengthen the democratic processes."

"As a nation we need to consider how we can come together and create places where a sense of community can be fostered, to encourage people to create networks of support by helping others, instead of prioritising convenience."

What about the role of business and corporate social impact?

UNSW CSI UG Leadership Fellows with David Gonski

Alongside government and communities, business plays a significant role in shaping social impact.

Through their engagement with David Gonski, Sameer reflects on how social impact is embedded within corporate leadership and decision-making.

"It became clear that social impact is increasingly a key consideration for senior management, particularly through how companies measure success not just financially, but through employee wellbeing and culture."

"While ESG outcomes are often framed as external commitments, they are also driven by internal expectations from staff, alongside growing pressure from customers and shareholders."

Future Opportunities: What Are the Next Generation of Leaders Thinking?

"This experience allowed me to gain new perspectives and a deeper understanding of how change can manifest across communities, organisations and the causes they support," Jasmine Nhan, UNSW CSI UG Fellow 2026.

"As I move toward a career in law, I am interested in how legal advice can shape positive corporate decision-making, encouraging businesses to pursue investments and strategies that deliver both commercial and social value," Sameer Dalal, UNSW CSI UG Fellow 2026.

"Social impact isn't just created by those who are democratically elected or establish social enterprises; it's also created by the people who simply decide to help someone else," Rehansa Gamagedara, UNSW CSI UG Fellow 2026.