HumasUPNVJ – Activist and scholar Yudi Latif said the survival of a nation is determined by two factors, namely the inherited capital factor and the human capital factor, but human capital is the most determining factor.

"A comparative study found that it is human capital that most determines the survival of a nation," said Yudi in the National Seminar as a series of 45th Anniversary events held at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium, UPNVJ Pondok Labu Campus, Jakarta, Wednesday (30/11/ 2022).

Yudi said that Prussia, one of the kingdoms in Germany, lost the war to France in 1806. In his speech to the people, King Friedrich Wilhem III said that the state must replace what has been lost physically with intellectual property.

Because of that, in 1810, the University of Berlin was founded which later became the pioneer of research universities around the world. According to Yudi, the establishment of the University of Berlin was a way for Prussia to compensate for the physical defeat caused by the war with intellectual property.

“We also know the story about Japan after losing World War II. Behind the collapse of Japan, Emperor Hirohito did not ask how many factories were still available, but asked how many teachers were still available," he said.

Yudi said universities have a close relationship with State Defense. As knowledge institutions, universities have an important meaning in the effort to Defend the State because the progress of development and the survival of a nation and state is determined by two factors, namely inherited capital and human capital.

“Inherited capital is a factor of geography, demography, geology, mineral resources, and factors related to pandemics and disasters. The second factor is human capital and the history of nations shows that human capital is the most decisive factor," he explained.

Regarding UPNVJ which is 45 years old, Yudi said 45 is a sacred number because Indonesia became independent in 1945. UPNVJ as a State Defense campus has an important role in instilling State Defense values.

"As a university that bears the title of Defending the Country, we must have a clear view of how close the relationship between the university and Defending the Country is," he said.