Acorn Strategy joins leading PR agencies and Universities worldwide in funding FCF scholarships supporting climate and sustainability communications.
(DUBAI, 27th March 2025) — With a global reach and offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jakarta, Melbourne, and London, Acorn Strategy has partnered with the Future Communicators Foundation (FCF) and Murdoch University Dubai in launching a new four-year scholarship program. Acorn Strategy joins eight leading global communications agencies in providing Future Communicator Foundation Scholarships with a four year commitment of US $10, 000.
The Acorn Strategy FCF Scholarship awards US $2500 annually to an exceptional senior student in the School of Media and Communication at Murdoch University Dubai. The competitive Scholarship requires students to demonstrate strategic thinking and creative innovation by developing communication campaigns addressing pressing sustainability challenges. Participants must craft persuasive campaign briefs, professional presentation decks, and compelling video pitches that propose actionable solutions to environmental issues. The 2025 theme challenges students to tackle “Water Sustainability and Desalination in the Desert” — a critical issue at the intersection of resource conservation and technological innovation in the UAE region.
“We’re thrilled to launch the inaugural Future Communicators Foundation scholarship in partnership with Murdoch University Dubai,” says Kate Midttun, Founder and CEO of Acorn Strategy and Chairperson of the Middle East Public Relations Association (MERPA). “This scholarship not only provides students with a valuable opportunity to develop their communication skills around a critical environmental challenge, but also embodies what we at Acorn Strategy have always championed — cultivating thoughtful, strategic communicators and nurturing the next generation who can make a real difference.”
“Murdoch University Dubai is honoured to be the first university to partner with the FCF Scholarship program in the Middle East,” says Professor Peter Waring, Pro Vice Chancellor Transnational Education and Acting Dubai Dean, Murdoch University Dubai. “This collaboration with Acorn Strategy and the Future Communicators Foundation reflects our commitment to fostering the next generation of communication professionals. We deeply appreciate this generous support, which will provide our students with invaluable opportunities to excel and make an impact in the industry.”
Kate Midttun and Murdoch University Dubai were both welcomed by Allard W. van Veen, Founder of the Future Communications Foundation. “It’s exciting that Future Communicators studying at Murdoch University Dubai are now able to apply for an Acorn Strategy Future Communicators Scholarship in the UAE, and I am especially thrilled to add Kate Middtun, Chairperson of the Middle East Public Relations Association and Founder of Acorn Strategy, as a Global Trustee of the Future Communicators Foundation,” said van Veen.
“As a new trustee of the FCF and long-time advocate for education in our industry, I’m particularly proud to support initiatives that empower young people to create impactful campaigns on issues like water conservation that are vital to the UAE’s sustainable future,” says Kate Midttun, CEO of Acorn Strategy.“At Acorn, we believe that effective communication will play a crucial role in addressing our most pressing environmental challenges, and this scholarship represents our dedication to both environmental stewardship and professional development in our field.”
Midttun joins the FCF’s leading global agency partners including SPRG (Hong Kong), Adfactors PR (India), FINN Partners (US), ICON (Australia), SenateSHJ (Australia), Tucker/Hall (US), and Wildfire (UK). Each agency sponsors an annual FCF Scholarship, partnering with PR and Communications departments at leading Universities worldwide, including RMIT University (Australia), Monash University (Australia), University of Florida, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), and ScoRe (India).
In addition to the US $10,000 provided by Acorn Strategy for Future Communicator Scholarships, The Future Communicators Foundation provides its own endowment Scholarship program, with a focus on young scholars and aspiring professionals in developing countries and underserved communities. In 2025, the FCF awarded full-tuition Scholarships for six students in Communications at Wisconsin University International College, Ghana, for their campaigns addressing ways to motivate and measure sustainable community practices in Accra.
About Acorn Strategy
Acorn Strategy is an award-winning marketing and communications agency, specialising in smarter, integrated strategies that deliver measurable results. With a global reach and offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jakarta, Melbourne, and London, Acorn Strategy supports clients across diverse industries by blending insights, creativity, and precision. Founded in 2010, the agency leverages collective senior leadership experience and evidence-based methodologies to achieve outcomes that align directly with clients’ business objectives. From integrated strategy and delivery to brand marketing communications, digital marketing, strategic communications, and marketing operations and advisory, Acorn Strategy connects the dots to drive impactful, end-to-end solutions for companies. To learn more, visit www.acornstrategy.com
About Murdoch University Dubai
Murdoch University Dubai is a branch campus of Murdoch University, one of the Australia’s research-intensive universities based in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 2008, the campus is located at the Dubai Knowledge Park. Murdoch University Dubai has one of the leading Media and Communication schools in the region offering a highly rated Bachelor of Communication degree in Strategic Communication and Web Communication. It’s students and alumni have won several industry awards and recognition over the years. To learn more, visit www.murdochuniversitydubai.com
