@Yang from OpenFIESTA (where the 2018 Shenzhen Gathering was held) has expressed interest in an AsiaOSH, in which OpenFiesta would host 1 or 2 gatherings per year to take advantage of their prototyping/manufacturing capabilities. It makes sense to combine this proposal with our talks about SEAOSH, so the following is an outline of what I imagine an AsiaOSH would look like.
Thoughts and feedback on how an AsiaOSH would be instantiated are solicited, as are expressions of interest, either in attending, or in hosting a gathering under the AsiaOSH rubric.
What AsiaOSH seems to be so far:
Intended for anyone who frequents the region (whether resident or not) (“Asia” being loosely defined)
All members are/must be members of GOSH, so no formal independent identity, no separate governance, no special status (unlike AfricaOSH or REGOSH).
“Membership” in AsiaOSH just means you intend to attend/host a gathering/gatherings under the AsiaOSH name.
Gatherings occur as/when someone hosts one, each possibly around a theme
Gatherings are self funded by attendees (including travel/lodging) unless a miracle happens (don’t assume a grant will appear to subsidise the gathering)
We can communicate/coordinate via the forum
Given that AsiaOSH is all/only about gatherings, it seems unnecessary to have any kind of AsiaOSH committee/governing structure. Discussions/thoughts?
Let’s get an idea of the interest in AsiaOSH. Who’s interested please reply so you can be counted.
Edit: I should have mentioned, that I’m assuming that AsiaOSH would supplant SEAOSH. The bullet list above is a legacy of SEAOSH deliberations.
I’m interested in SEAOSH and may be interested in AsiaOSH. My only limitation is money. Sorry for not being around, but now I’m happy to say I’ve got my degree.
Thanks for asking @Harold. As you know I’m interested. I’m in east/southeast Asia roughly once per year (already happened for 2024). So if an AsiaOSH gathering happens, I’ll try to plan my trip(s) to match it!
We (@uddhavi2009 , @ratiranjan & @rejoyjoseph24 ) are from India, quite keen for the AsiaOSH. May be we will have to explore for travel costs. We are also happy to volunteer.
Great to hear from India! May I ask where from India are you all from? India is pretty big, I’m trying to get an idea of where the “centre of OScH gravity” in Asia is.
OpenFIESTA, Tsinghua University (Shenzhen, China) could offer our open labs and idea cafe as the place for the potential first AsiaOSH gathering. Harold and I are hoping to hear community members’ ideas and interests about the AsiaOSH gathering. It would be awesome for people in Asia to have a chance to meet face-to-face and do some sharing. If you have an interesting project and are willing to share it with other community members and our graduate students (master’s students) during the gathering, OpenFIESTA could also provide some lecturing subsidy for you (not much, limited by our funding).
We have hosted the GOSH gathering 2018, you can find some photos on the GOSH website or visit our Facebook or Twitter. As we get enough interest and ideas from members in this thread, we will initiate the organization and registration process. Thanks for everyone supporting the AsiaOSH gathering!!!
Hi, this is Ellie from [Chaihuo Makerspace] (Chaihuo Makerspace) (Chaihuo x.factory). We’ve cooperated with OpenFIESTA on many events and projects, and we were proud to support and co-host the GOSH public event at our makerspace during GOSH 2018 in Shenzhen!
We are thrilled to see this discussion on AsiaOSH and would like to explore the possibility of participating and supporting AsiaOSH with Chaihuo Makerspace along with our parent company Seeed Studio.
Speaking of gatherings, we host community events at Chaihuo Makerspace regularly, and we’d be happy to support them in the following ways:
promote AsiaOSH gatherings via the Chaihuo platform and social media platforms to invite local and global participants
host AsiaOSH gatherings at Chaihuo Makerspace if there is a need for venue support
others (happy to brainstorm)
Meanwhile, we have organized MFSZ (Maker Faire Shenzhen) since 2012. MFSZ has become one of the most influential events that promote open source, crossover cooperation, and innovation. If there are plans for a bigger GOSH/ AsiaOSH gathering, we would love to discuss and see how we can support and co-host it as a parallel event during MFSZ2024 (tentatively scheduled for November 2024) either at the same venue of MFSZ or other places such as openFIESTA, which is not far from Chaihuo Makerspace.
Welcome to Shenzhen! We look forward to contributing to AsiaOSH with community members in the region and beyond!
As you may know, the next GOSH gathering is going to happen in Bali (Indonesia) in 2025 probably in May.
I’d like to ask all those who expressed an interest in AsiaOSH, if they plan, or if it would be feasible, to be at gathering 2025?
A possibility that occurs to one is to hold an AsiaOSH gathering at around the same time as the GOSH gathering. Do folks this this is a good idea? Would you be interested?
I’m especially interested in input from China and India, as folks from these places have the furthest to travel. Some visa info here. @Yang@rajudev@salmanfarisvp
Thanks for your interest and input. If you tend to think the time of 2025 GOSH gathering is a good time to initiate Aisa GOSH. That would be great reducing costs and meeting more people in Bali. I am happy to join.
If people would like to meet this year. I have discussed this with Ellie from the seeedstudio recently. Considering the weather in Southeast Asia (Cool in Shenzhen) and concurrent events. We would like to recommend early November as the time of AsiaOSH. There are 2 big events happening around the same time that may also be worth attending:
MakerFaire SZ 2024 (biggest maker event happening in Shenzhen, organized by seeedstudio, started since 2012) one of the weekends in early Nov
China Hi-Tech Fair 2024 (biggest hi-tech fair in China, more business atmosphere, plenty of companies show their latest development and product) Nov 13-17th
Has the gathering WG decided when the time of the gathering is in 2025? Shall we initial an online vote (google form maybe) about when and where would be suitable for most people to meet? @Harold
Waiting to hear ideas from you all. @Harold@salmanfarisvp@tapas@Ellie
Happy to see this discussion growing here on the forum.
Allthough i am sometimes to be found in Zurich,… I have been very active in various regions in Asia over the last decade. And i hope i can contribute to this community in some was or other.
Also i was kinda in charge of organizing that collaboration with x.factory / seeedstudio during the GOSH in 2018, involving 3 prior visits to Shenzhen. I was mostly working with @Violet at that time. Some old article about my presentation at x.factory in Chinese.
For the event in Bali (I am part of the workgroup), we are considering May 2025, and I am personally very interested to meet and prepare smaller events, workshops, hang-outs in Southeast Asia leading up to that global Gathering. That means we could present past activities already at the GOSH2025. So I think to kick of some meetup in November in Shenzhen is a great idea! @ez_laine is involved as our main partner in Indonesia.
I have been just recently organizing smaller asian mini gatherings on Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and i think we can use any opportunity in the upcoming months to build a stronger connection around people in asia working with open science hardware.
A main theme that we have discussed, is the challenge of getting (even though they are small) that little financial support to cover travel amongst people in Southeast Asia. As for some of the more independant researchers, it’s still to high to just pay from the pocket. But at least most people are free from VISA, and i think short visits to Shenzhen is also easy for entry permits.
@Yang@Ellie do you think there could be some travel support in collaboration with you or makerfaire SZ?
Hi @dusjagr, great to hear the wheels are turning!
For the event in Bali (I am part of the workgroup), we are considering May 2025, and I am personally very interested to meet and prepare smaller events, workshops, hang-outs in Southeast Asia leading up to that global Gathering. That means we could present past activities already at the GOSH2025. So I think to kick of some meetup in November in Shenzhen is a great idea! @ez_laine is involved as our main partner in Indonesia.
These smaller events in SEAsia leading up to GOSH2025, might any of them be in Jogja? (hint hint) It seems to me that this is a great opportunity to have AsiaOSH feature other Indonesian locations/events, since GOSH folks would already have the visa and already be in the country. And as much as I enjoy Bali, it is not representative of the rest of Indonesia!
As Jogja, Yogya, Yogyakarta, Djogja, is my base for more than a decade,… definately I will be there and hoefully get some stuff rolling.
But specifically up to our GOSH event in Indonesia, I am also super interested to explore other communities around some of the the other islands beyond Java.
I did already apply to a personal Grant from my hometown, Schaffhausen, to do so… but chances are not too high to get it funded. Lets stay tuned. I will hear in early June.
