Churchill Fellowship: Investigating the Enablers of Circular Economies
Each year, the Winston Churchill Trust awards Fellowships to Australians from all walks of life who demonstrate a vision to make a difference both locally and nationally. Established in 1965 as a living memorial to Sir Winston Churchill, the Trust enables ordinary Australians to achieve extraordinary things by travelling abroad to investigate best practice, innovation, and leadership in their chosen fields.
Unlike scholarships or academic awards, a Churchill Fellowship is not about formal study. It is about learning through experience, connecting with global experts, and bringing those insights home to create lasting impact.
Eugene Hooks, Her Excellency Sam Mostyn AC, Governor General & James Pengelley (Fellowship Recipient)
This year, Eugene Hooks, founder of platFORMed, was named a 2025 Churchill Fellowship Recipient. With more than 15 years of experience across design, construction, and sustainability, Eugene has worked at the intersection of creativity, circular thinking, and social impact. His work champions the belief that design and business decisions can and should enhance the wellbeing of people, communities, and the planet.
As a Fellow, Eugene will embark on a global research journey to uncover the enabling conditions that allow circular economies to thrive. His project, titled “To investigate the enabling conditions to successfully embed circular economies in Australia,” will explore what makes circularity work in practice, not just as a concept but as a functioning ecosystem of design, policy, finance, and culture.
Local + Local - Perth Design Week 2025 Event (Advocacy in Action).
Eugene’s research will take him across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, engaging with leaders in circular design, manufacturing, policy, and education. The aim is to identify what empowers these systems to move beyond waste reduction toward regenerative value creation, where materials, resources, and human effort are continuously cycled and renewed.
Australia’s current circularity rate sits at around 4 percent. Through his Fellowship, Eugene hopes to uncover pathways that can shift this balance from isolated initiatives to a connected, scalable model that benefits industries, governments, and communities alike.