Fab Academy

For the eight year in a row, you can take part in Fab Academy through Fab Lab Oulu. Fab Lab Oulu is located inside the premises of the University of Oulu. It is the second Fab Lab founded in Finland and one of the most active ones in the nordic countries. In Fab Lab Oulu we have a highly educated staff (among them nine Fab Academy graduates).

38 Fab Academy students have graduated from Fab Lab Oulu in the seven previous years (~90% success rate). All instructors in 2023 will be Fab Academy graduates from previous years.

Fab Lab Oulu's premises host a wide variety of machines enabling digital fabrication, among these are:

• A stack of 3D printers
• A laser cutter
• A precision milling machine
• Vinyl cutters
• A reflow oven
• A big milling machine for furniture
• Multiple electronic stations

Fab Academy 2023 starts mid January and ends late June 2023.

All students who graduate in 2023 are warmly welcome to Fab18 in Bhutan. Registration is free for students who graduate in 2023 (Fab Lab Oulu does not cover any travel expenses).

Fab Academy organizes the following events weekly that can be followed from Fab Lab:

• Mondays: Recitation (voluntary). Global experts will give a talk to dig deeply into some of the topics.
  
• Tuesdays: Local review (voluntary). You can discuss your weekly tasks with a Fab Academy Gurú and other students from nordic countries.
  
• Wednesdays: Class (mandatory). Neil Gershenfeld will review previous week's work and provide basic principles and guidelines to complete the following week's task.
  
• Thursdays: Local Class (mandatory). Fab Lab Oulu instructors will guide students through the weekly project.

The estimated amount of time that a student should dedicate each week depends a lot on the student's background. On average, students should reserve around 30 or 35 hours per week to complete the tasks.

The movement of makers, Fab Labs or hackerspace, thanks to its exponential growth in recent years, is currently creating a radically new digital economy. This is the new digital revolution that will open completely new business opportunities.

Many Fab Academy graduates have improved their career opportunities after taking the program. Many graduates have also started their own businesses offering locally produced design objects, toys, training services and consulting.

There's a high demand in the job market for talented digital fabrication experts and fab lab managers, but the knowledge offered by the course can be applied to any profession requiring rapid prototyping.

After finishing Fab Academy you will receive:

• The Fab Academy Diploma
  The diploma will be issued by a distributed Global Evaluation Committee after satisfactorily completing the course of study in the Principles and Applications of Digital Fabrication.
  
• A Personal portfolio of technical accomplishments
  Each student documents their progress for each weekly project, resulting in a personal portfolio of technical accomplishments that can be used to present their skills to possible employers.
  
• 25 ECTS
  If you are a University student, Fab Academy entitles you to 25 ETCS.
  
• You will get to be a part of the Fab Lab community
  One the most important aspects of taking part in Fab Academy is that the students will become a part of the Fab Lab community. They will create an international network of contacts who are digital fabrication experts.

If you are a University of Oulu student, you will get 25 ECTS, corresponding to the following courses:

• 521907S Fab Lab Digital Fabrication
• 521905A Fab Lab Electronics
• 521906A Fab Lab Programming
• 521904A Fab Lab Project Management
• 521908S Fab Lab Project Work

NOTE for PhD students: Please, check carefully which courses can be included in your study plan.