EduAsiaNews, Jakarta — At the Open Session of the 48th Anniversary of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta (UPNVJ), the atmosphere shifted into a forum for reflecting on national security. Prof. Dr. Reda Manthovani, S.H., LL.M., the Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence of the Indonesian Attorney General’s Office, took the podium carrying a central thesis: that national defense in the digital era no longer rests on physical barricades, but on social, legal, and ideological resilience.
The session, led by UPNVJ Rector Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, MA, Comm, was attended by hundreds of members of the academic community. In his scientific oration titled The Role of the Intelligence Unit of the Indonesian Attorney General’s Office within the Framework of National Defense, Prof. Reda connected the 48-year journey of UPNVJ—rooted in the patriotism of independence veterans—with an increasingly complex landscape of contemporary threats. “Technological progress can become a threat if misused,” he said, referring to the rise of artificial intelligence–based crimes discussed in Artificial Intelligence Crime literature.
According to Prof. Reda, Indonesia—as an archipelagic nation with vast geography and rich ethno-linguistic diversity—requires a multilayered security model. Foundational national pillars such as Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, he emphasized, must be supported by defense systems capable of interpreting shifts in technology. From deepfake content manipulation and rapidly spreading disinformation to large-scale cyberattacks, these vulnerabilities have become the new battlegrounds.
For the Attorney General’s Office, particularly the intelligence division, this evolving threat landscape demands strategic transformation. Early warning and early detection are no longer mere slogans but serve as the frontline of instability prevention. From safeguarding national strategic projects to anticipating emerging criminal patterns, the intelligence function of the AGO is increasingly central to strengthening the modern rule-of-law system.
In his presentation, Prof. Reda highlighted that preventive approaches have become the new face of law enforcement. Programs such as Jaksa Garda Desa, Jaksa Mandiri Pangan, Strategic Development Security, and Jaksa Masuk Sekolah are designed to reach the roots of social issues while improving public legal literacy. “Prevention is a long-term investment,” he stressed, noting that intelligence does not always operate in the shadows but also engages directly with educational and community spaces.
Addressing the academic audience, Prof. Reda underscored the strategic role of universities in non-military national defense. Campuses, he said, are both laboratories of knowledge and fortresses of integrity. Students must possess critical thinking, strong digital literacy, and sensitivity to ideological threats, radicalism, corruption, and hoaxes. “Higher education is a soft-defense agent for national resilience,” he said.
His oration illustrated how the world of education and law enforcement institutions share a common objective: strengthening national resilience through intelligence, not force.
In closing, Prof. Reda called on UPNVJ to amplify its contribution toward Indonesia Emas 2045. Collaboration between academic institutions and the Attorney General’s Office, he noted, is vital to building a legal ecosystem that is adaptive and responsive to digital-era challenges.
The Open Session of UPNVJ’s 48th Anniversary was not merely a celebratory event—it became a stage to reconsider the role of higher education in the evolving landscape of 21st-century security. Prof. Reda’s oration served as a reminder that national defense today requires algorithms of vigilance, intelligence, and solidarity—far beyond the heroic slogans of the past. (*)
