EduAsiaNews, Jakarta – The presence of sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Veterans National Development University of Jakarta (UPNVJ) marks a historic moment that reunites the institution’s long journey with one of the key figures in its conversion to a state university. Twelve years after signing the inscription for the conversion of UPN “Veteran” Jakarta on Oct. 6, 2014, Yudhoyono returned to the “Bela Negara” campus for the 38th Indonesian National Meeting of International Relations Students (PNMHII). His appearance at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium at UPNVJ in South Jakarta also marked a new chapter for the university, which was entrusted for the first time with hosting the national forum of international relations students.
The moment holds special meaning for UPNVJ. On Oct. 6, 2014, then president Yudhoyono signed the inscription for the university’s conversion at a ceremony held at the Eastern Fleet Command in Surabaya, East Java. The event became an important milestone in UPNVJ’s transformation into a state university, while strengthening its role in providing higher education in Indonesia.
More than a decade later, Yudhoyono’s return brings together the history of the conversion and UPNVJ’s development as a higher education institution that continues to expand its contribution at the national level.
If in 2014 the conversion marked a key turning point in the institution’s status, in 2026 UPNVJ is showing progress through the trust placed in it to host the 38th PNMHII. The forum is a gathering place for international relations students from various universities to build academic networks, exchange ideas and discuss strategic issues in international relations.
Yudhoyono’s presence at the event also adds value to the 38th PNMHII. As president from 2004 to 2014, he has experience in national leadership, diplomacy and international relations. That experience is relevant to the participants’ field of study, which covers global political dynamics, diplomacy and Indonesia’s position in relations among countries.
