UPNVJ Public Relations – The National Veteran Development University Jakarta (UPNVJ) in collaboration with the Indonesian National Defense Movement (GBNI) held a National Symposium with the theme "Strengthening Non-Military National Defense for a Golden Indonesia 2045" on Saturday, December 20, 2025. This event took place at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium, UPNVJ Rectorate Building, and was attended by hundreds of participants from academics, policy makers, and community organizations.

The symposium aimed to strengthen non-military national defense against threats such as disinformation, cyberattacks, and social polarization through communication, digital literacy, and social cohesion. On the occasion, UPNVJ also soft-launched the National Defense Implementation Index (IIBN) as a measure of national resilience on campus.

The event was opened by Rear Admiral Arif Harnanto, Expert Staff to the Minister for Defense from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. He emphasized that future defense threats will be dominated more by non-military factors than conventional military ones. "Threats to national sovereignty don't always take the form of overt military aggression. Disinformation, hoaxes, and narrative warfare can weaken a nation without a single shot being fired," he said.

UPNVJ Rector, Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, MA, Comm, in his remarks highlighted the role of universities in building ideological and psychological resilience. "The main challenge is psychological warfare. Modern weapons are meaningless if the national narrative is fragile," he stressed. He added that non-military national defense must be integrated into higher education through national values and digital literacy.

The symposium featured four keynote speakers. Yudi Latief, MA, PhD, from the Center for Islamic Studies and Indonesian Statecraft, discussed enhancing Indonesia's soft power as a global asset. Inspector General of Police Purwolelono, a Defense and Security Researcher at the National Resilience Institute of the Republic of Indonesia, discussed national defense in the digital era and cyber sovereignty.

Prof. Cecep Darmawan, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Education at the Indonesian University of Education, discussed the transformation of non-military national defense. Prof. Dr. Anter Venus also served as a resource person, explaining the conceptualization of non-military national defense based on citizen participation. The speakers presented their ideas in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Azwar, SS, M.Si., Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at UPNVJ.

The IIBN was launched by the Chancellor of UPNVJ, the Head of the UPNVJ Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM), and the Head of the National Defense Index Survey Team. This index measures the implementation of national defense values within the academic community.

The IIBN is a measuring tool that focuses on the practical application of national defense values within the Indonesian academic community. The IIBN is expected to strengthen nationalism, patriotism, and resilience in the face of non-military threats such as disinformation and cyberattacks.

Through this symposium, UPNVJ affirmed its commitment as an educational institution contributing to national resilience. "UPNVJ's vision is to develop a superior generation with strong national defense values, supporting Indonesia Emas 2045 through innovative policies and shared achievements," said Prof. Venus.