By Rachana Khatri

The FabLab Nepal team is calling for innovative and resourceful professionals from diverse backgrounds to become part of the FabLab advisory committee!

Yes! FabLab Nepal is bringing together an Advisory Committee to include experts and/or, representatives from relevant FabLab Nepal stakeholders of diverse backgrounds such as Government, Technology, Business, Education, etc. If you are someone who is inspired, fueled, and capacitated to guide resources like ‘Fablab Nepal’ to another level in Nepal, join the committee!

What is FabLab Nepal?

FabLab Nepal is a platform, a digital fabrication laboratory in Nepal Communitere, (Pulchowk) that enables ideas to be turned into tangible prototypes and products. Nepal Communitere launched FabLab Nepal in January 2021 in partnership with Field Ready and with support from invaluable donor partners including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Center for Bits & Atoms, Dassault System Solidworks, and the Frontier Technologies Livestreaming program of  UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UKAID). FabLab Nepal is the FIRST ‘Humanitarian’ Fab Lab in Nepal with a proactive agenda to engage members of marginalized groups and work with government and donor partners to design innovative solutions for Nepal. We aim to increase the accessibility of digital fabrication technology and fill a critical industrial product development gap for emerging sectors in Nepal such as agriculture, manufacturing, design, packaging, and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) by supporting skills building, entrepreneurship, and contributing towards livelihood development for diverse groups.

Being the first FabLab Nepal, we have been providing access to knowledge, tools, and resources which bring ideas from head to hand while empowering the people of Nepal. We’re a collaborative center for innovation, invention, education, and humanitarian outreach and allow users to make almost anything!  

For an advisor of our committee, we visualize someone who is ready to bring this unique knowledge, skills, and network we need, to effectively guide this resource with unlimited scope in achieving our vision: Championing ‘making’ as a means of empowering the people of Nepal regardless of their gender, social status, ability or economic means.

Why an advisory committee?

Our core team at FabLab includes our four extremely talented, resilient, and dedicated members and we expect the team to grow in 2022. We, as a team, believe that in order to continue bridging this gap between designing and prototyping, it’s important for people to know and understand the possibilities with the Fablab Nepal resource. We are currently running two major projects focused on 1) Fabrication workshops for upskilling Nepali participants (supported by RA Engineering) and 2) Strengthening STEAM skills for Nepal’s youth and educators through hands-on project-based learning sessions (supported by US Embassy Nepal). We are growing and tapping into diverse sectors to create an impact in Nepal with our holistic approach to upskill Nepali youth from very basic to advanced level STEAM skills. However, we believe that we can create a larger impact as we see the immense scope we have in Nepal. With our core team members involved in designing different impact projects and opportunities lined in our way, we want to prioritize and listen to objective and unique opinions and perspectives from external stakeholders of the ecosystem. Committee advisors will be our important ‘sounding board’ to study and advise on FabLab Nepal’s direction, projects focus, targets, and develop recommendations to channelize focus on what’s needed for Nepal. For now, we are seeking a group of a maximum of five advisors in the committee who can proactively contribute their knowledge to enhance and grow our impact!

Wait! This does not end here.

As an advisory member, you will receive recognition as ‘An Advisor to Nepal’s first FabLab of Nepal’. In addition to this, the advisory committee members will be able to access the FabLab at priority and will be updated with the latest tech advances and innovations happening at FabLab of Nepal and around the globe along with exposure to different digital fabrication machines and our international networks. If you meet the criteria and believe you can make a difference by advising FabLab Nepal, apply now!

How to apply? Send us your cover letter of Interest and CV to Pallab Shrestha (FabLab Nepal Lead) at the email: [email protected] by 31st December 2021, midnight

For more information, reach out to Fablab Nepal by email at [email protected] or Ph No. 9851278038.