Deputy Head of the TNI Public Information Centre: Synergy with the Campus World Strengthens Students’ National Consciousness
JAKARTA — The Deputy Head of the TNI Public Information Centre (Wakapuspen TNI), Brigadier General (Arh) Osmar Silalahi, emphasised that the TNI has a strong closeness with the world of education, including universities and students. He said that the cooperation forged through various academic activities over the years is an important part of strengthening the national consciousness of the younger generation.
“We are quite close to the campuses and the world of education. Together with UPH, we also frequently deliver public lectures, particularly related to leadership and national consciousness. This shows that the TNI wants to continue to be present and close with the campus world as well as students,” Osmar said while attending the UPH Media Gathering 2026 at the Pullman Central Park Hotel, West Jakarta, on Friday (6 March 2026).
He invited all parties, including the media, academics, and state institutions, to continue to be grateful and perform their respective roles with full responsibility. “We should be grateful, and the hope is that through our respective professions, we can all deliver a positive impact on Indonesian society,” he stated.
The 2026 Media Gathering carried the theme “Nurturing Gratitude through Art and Journalism that Makes an Impact” and was attended by journalists, editors, and collaboration teams representing more than 25 national tier-1 media outlets. The event served as a space for friendship as well as a momentum to strengthen strategic partnerships between UPH and the mass media.
In his address, UPH Associate Vice President of Student Development, Alumni and Corporate Relations Dr. Andry M. Panjaitan expressed appreciation for the media’s role in publicising the university’s activities and achievements.
“We would like to thank and appreciate our colleagues in the media who have helped to voice UPH’s various initiatives and achievements. The narrative we build together has broadened UPH’s impact, not only as an academic institution but as a learning community that trains graduates who are competent, who have integrity, and who have a heart to serve,” he said.
He stressed that the meeting was not just a formal agenda, but an encounter of two worlds that both play a part in shaping the future. The campus world, he said, shapes the thinking and character of the younger generation, while the media world shapes public discourse and society’s collective consciousness.
Interactive Session: Encouraging Journalists to Reflect on the Meaning of Gratitude.
An interactive workshop that formed the main sequence of this event was guided by the UPH Psychology Study Programme team, comprising UPH Psychology Study Programme Chair Karel Karsten Himawan, UPH Psychology lecturer Christina Claudia, and UPH Psychology student class of 2022 Audrey Asafita Permana.
The session began with a presentation titled “Nurturing Gratitude” which invited participants to understand that forgiveness is not simply forgetting the hurt, but opens a new space for gratitude. Thereafter, participants entered a self-exploration session using the “Point of You” cards to reflect on the meaning behind the images and words that appeared.
The reflective journey continued with a colouring activity, in which participants were invited to recall and process past experiences that may be painful or still carry emotional burdens. After colouring, participants moved into a journaling stage to reorganise the way of thinking about forgiveness experiences that have happened or are being endured. As a closing session, participants expressed their reflections in drawing to express gratitude when they are able to forgive themselves.