UPNVJ Public Relations – Veteran National Development University Jakarta (UPNVJ) officially held a seminar and launch of its Halal Center with the theme “Towards Halal Society 2045: The Role of Universities in Realizing a Halal Ecosystem” at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The event was attended by academics, government representatives, business people, and various stakeholders. The launch of the Halal Center marks UPNVJ’s strategic step in strengthening the contribution of universities to the development of the national halal ecosystem through education, research, community service, and halal mentoring services. Institutionally, the existence of the UPNVJ Halal Center has been affirmed through Rector Regulation Number 10 of 2025 concerning the Establishment of the UPNVJ Halal Center Study Center.
The seminar and launch stem from the increasingly expansive global halal industry, no longer limited to the food and beverage sector, but also encompassing pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, Islamic finance, halal tourism, and halal logistics. In this context, halal is increasingly understood as a value system related to quality, safety, process certainty, and sustainability, making it relevant to the wider community and a strategic area requiring support from higher education institutions.
In his remarks, UPNVJ Rector, Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, emphasized that the establishment of the Halal Center represents a concrete step by the institution to support the national strategic agenda. He stated that the UPNVJ Halal Center is expected to become a hub for the development of integrated halal research, education, and mentoring services, while also bridging collaboration between academics, government, industry, and the community.
The event also featured speakers from various sectors, including representatives from the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), Bank Indonesia, and academics. The seminar focused on halal product assurance policies, strengthening the Islamic economy and finance, and the role of universities in building an adaptive, collaborative, and impactful halal ecosystem for society.
The launch of the UPNVJ Halal Center represents a crucial opportunity to increase halal literacy, encourage applied research, and strengthen multi-stakeholder synergy. This initiative also provides a platform for information dissemination and expanding collaborative networks, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to better prepare them to meet standards and comply with the halal certification process. This aligns with the UPNVJ Halal Center's role as a unit providing assistance in applying for halal certification for MSMEs and industrial products.
As part of strengthening the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, the UPNVJ Halal Center is expected to develop into a center of excellence that not only serves halal assistance needs but also generates innovations, empowerment models, and research collaborations relevant to the needs of the community and the business world. This step also continues the Halal Center development process previously discussed by UPNVJ through academic and institutional forums, including discussions on establishing a Halal Center of Excellence in 2023.
From a university policy perspective, this initiative demonstrates UPNVJ's commitment to providing a campus that is not only academically superior, but also responsive to the nation's strategic needs.