Edu Asia New,UPNVJ Public Relations – Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta (UPNVJ), in collaboration with the Indonesian State Defense Movement (GBNI), held a National Symposium themed “Strengthening Non-Military State Defense for a Golden Indonesia 2045” on Saturday, 20 December 2025. The event took place at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium, UPNVJ Rectorate Building, and was attended by hundreds of participants, including academics, policymakers, and members of civil society organizations.
The symposium aimed to strengthen non-military state defense in response to threats such as disinformation, cyberattacks, and social polarization through approaches including communication, digital literacy, and social cohesion. During the event, UPNVJ also conducted the soft launch of the State Defense Implementation Index (IIBN), designed as a tool to measure national resilience within the campus environment.
The event was opened by Rear Admiral Arif Harnanto, Expert Staff to the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He emphasized that future defense threats are increasingly dominated by non-military factors rather than conventional military forces.
“Threats to national sovereignty are not always in the form of overt military aggression. Disinformation, hoaxes, and narrative warfare can weaken the nation without a single shot being fired,” he stated.
UPNVJ Rector, Prof. Dr. Anter Venus, MA, Comm., highlighted the role of universities in building ideological and psychological resilience.
“The main challenge is psychological warfare. Modern weapons mean little if national narratives are fragile,” he stressed. He added that non-military state defense must be integrated into higher education through national values and digital literacy.
The symposium featured four main speakers. Yudi Latief, M.A., Ph.D., from the Center for Islamic and State Studies in Indonesia, discussed strengthening Indonesia’s soft power as a global asset. Irjen Pol. Purwolelono, from the Defense and Security Assessment Unit of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas), addressed state defense in the digital era and cyber sovereignty.
Prof. Cecep Darmawan, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Education at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, discussed the transformation of non-military state defense. Prof. Dr. Anter Venus also presented as a speaker, elaborating on the conceptualization of non-military state defense based on citizen participation. Presenters shared their ideas in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Azwar, S.S., M.Si., Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at UPNVJ’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP).
The launch of the IIBN was carried out by the Rector of UPNVJ, the Chairperson of the UPNVJ Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM), and the Chairperson of the State Defense Index Survey Team. The Index measures the implementation of state defense values among the academic community.
The IIBN serves as a tool focused on the practical application of state defense values within Indonesian higher education institutions. It is expected to strengthen nationalism, patriotism, and national resilience against non-military threats such as disinformation and cyberattacks.
Through this symposium, UPNVJ reaffirmed its commitment as an educational institution contributing to national resilience.
“The vision of UPNVJ is to develop an outstanding generation with strong state defense values, supporting a Golden Indonesia 2045 through innovative policies and shared achievements,” said Prof. Venus.(www.upnvj.ac.id)
