KP Sharma 

The Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck Super Fab Lab (JNWSFL) has launched the National Fab Student Challenge to complement the National School Innovation Tournament of the education ministry.

The event, which is a part of the international fab fest scheduled for 16-28 July 2023 in Bhutan, aims to encourage students to use fabrication to aid learning.

Students from schools across the country will be encouraged to use techniques such as 3D printing, woodworking, and circuit board creation to develop physical teaching aids.

The top teams will be led by a teacher mentor, visit the nearest national fab lab to prototype their ideas, and present their final prototypes at the Fab23 Bhutan Conference.

Prior to the launch, the education ministry and Inno Tech division of DHI held orientation programmes to guide students and teachers through the challenge, with an in-person session at JNW Super Fab Lab on July 22.

The selected teams will be presented with the opportunity to visit the nearest national fab lab in the country to prototype their ideas, according to DHI.

JNWSFL is gearing towards FAB 23 Bhutan. JNWSFL in collaboration with the Fab Foundation, the Center for Bits & Atoms at MIT, and Fab City Foundation will host the event in Bhutan.

The DHI stated that the challenge was developed to promote youth education and technology and create an innovation ecosystem based on digital fabrication tools.

The event is expected to run a variety of programmes, workshops, and sessions during and before the event, and showcase products and prototypes during the international fest.