About

This page is created in the course of FabAcademy 2016. As a student of the program I have to perform various assignments in the field of Digital Fabrication. Students at the Fab Academy learn:

http://fabacademy.org/about/

That's me, Karsten Nebe.

Most likeley this is the most difficult page on my portfolio website. What should I tell people about me?
My first idea was, to write a short vita - but who cares?
Second, I started writing that I am a MAKER and this made me think about being a MAKER. Am I a MAKER? What is a MAKER?
Since I was a kid, I created things om my own. Many of them with the support of my parents, especially my father. He was a passionate creator (Maker) with a diversified interest almost anything. I believe he tried his hands on almost any traditional craft that exists. His projects included e.g. the restauration of old cars and motorcyles, also furniture and mechanical clocks,. He did archeological excavation, bookbinding, created papyrus, He also had an interst in the identification of minerals, he did gold planning, and way more ....
Most of the times, my brother and I had the chance to look over his shoulders. He urged on us to try many thisngs on our own. I am confident that this habit made us a maker already. The willingness to share experiences among others is essential for a joint participation in our society.

Am I a MAKER? What qualifies me to call myself being a MAKER?

I found a really nice article about The Maker Movement that started to make me think.

I like the idea of the Maker Effect:

“The Maker Effect is the sum of the personal growth, professional success, community development, and continuous innovation that results when makers learn, educate, share, and create together.” http://www.themakereffect.org

Yes, I Fianlly I can say, I interited the passion for making.
And Yes, I am a Maker :)

I am a Computer Scientist working at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences as a teacher since 2011. I am also the Director of the FabLab Kamp-Lintfort of which I am really proud. I love this place and am doing what I am doing with passion.

Kamp-Lintfort is a small city where coal mining was determining the life for more than 100 years. A few years ago coal-mining has ended here.
To support urgent structural changes, the government of the Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany, decided to found Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences with two campuses. One of them is located in the city centre of Kamp-Lintfort in the vicinity of the old coalmine. Citizens, schools and local enterprises are very interested in the university since they are hoping for novel impulses for education, local business and social life.
Students are not only changing the cityscape with their presence; they are also taking an active part in its transformation as they have for example developed the current corporate identity of the city which now calls itself ‘Kamp-Lintfort - University Town’. This underlines the on-going transition from coal production to knowledge production.
However, production itself is based on know-how. Without people’s expertise no educational institution or fab lab can force production. Thus, knowledge is the fundament, which needs to be consolidated and cultivated.
And that's what we do and what I like to do.

For further reading about my/our thoughts: Old Traditions and New Ideas - From Coal Mining to Education a paper of Karsten Nebe, Rolf Becker and Martin Kreymann, published in the PROCEEDINGS OF THE FAB 10 ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM in Barcelona.