Bogor. President Prabowo Subianto and former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) jointly officiated the opening of a new campus of the Indonesia Defense University (Unhan) on Wednesday in Bogor, West Java.

Prabowo, a retired Army general himself, emphasized the significance of SBY’s presence at the ceremony, noting his role in founding the university.

“We are grateful to have with us the man who pioneered and established this institution. Thank you, Mr. SBY, for being here,” Prabowo said in his remarks.

The president also recalled their shared history as cadets at the Indonesian Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java. Both entered in the same year, but Prabowo graduated a year later.

“They gave me an extra year because the academy cared so much about me,” Prabowo joked, drawing laughter from the audience.

Both leaders eventually rose to the nation’s highest office after decades of military and public service. Prabowo urged students of the university to look up to SBY as a role model for leadership and forward-thinking vision.

“I want the Indonesia Defense University to produce not only defense experts but also future leaders in strategic sectors,” Prabowo said. “We need graduates who are disciplined, excellent, and devoted to serving the nation with love for the homeland.”

The Indonesia Defense University was officially established on March 11, 2009, during SBY’s presidency. It is a unique institution dedicated exclusively to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies in defense-related disciplines.

The university houses eight faculties:

• Faculty of Military Medicine
• Faculty of Military Pharmacy
• Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• Faculty of Defense Technology
• Faculty of Defense Strategy
• Faculty of Defense Management
• Faculty of National Security
• Faculty of Defense Science