UNSW Makerspace named in 2021 'Best Maker School' Series

The Michael Crouch Innovation Centre (MCIC) Makerspace has been named in the Best Maker Schools in Higher Education list by Newsweek and Make: Magazine. The inclusion celebrates the hard work and ongoing dedication of the Makerspace team, which includes Fi Tschaut, Gregory Davis and James Tawadros. 

"Increasingly, makerspaces are seen as essential for students, and not just as an amenity, but for creating a pathway for developing the skills and mindset of the next generation of innovators," Make: Magazine founder Dale Dougherty said. 

The inaugural rankings include 200 universities, colleges, vocational and trade schools with curricula that encourage learning by doing. The inclusion highlights and acknowledges the UNSW Founders’ ongoing commitment to innovative programs that demonstrate ingenuity and community engagement.  

"Impressed by what these innovative programs achieve, we set out to highlight the universities, community, and junior colleges, vocational and trade schools that bear the hallmarks of the growing maker movement," Newsweek Global Editor in Chief Nancy Cooper said. 

“These are the schools where the next generation comes to innovate and grow, and recruiters come to hire”. 

The MCIC Makerspace serves as the prototyping arm of the UNSW Founders program by providing entrepreneurs and researchers with an avenue for commercialising their work. The MCIC empowers all UNSW community members to take prototyping into their own hands and create a tangible impact on the community. 

The Centre also runs events and workshops to introduce the community to entrepreneurship, creative thinking and making. As it’s not aligned to one faculty, it welcomes and serves students, staff and alumni from various disciplines. 

“The Michael Crouch Innovation Centre Makerspace is a clear differentiator for the UNSW Founders program,” MCIC Makerspace Prototyping Manager Gregory Davis said. 

“Having access to the latest technology and state of the art prototyping equipment empowers UNSW entrepreneurs and researchers with the opportunity to prototype and validate their ideas and products in a barrier-free, 'hands on' environment.” 

The Michael Crouch Innovation Centre was established in 2015 through the generous donation of Michael Crouch and his inspiring vision to “Find a better way.” To find out more or to sign up, visit the website.