Open University Targets One Million Students by 2028

Universitas Terbuka (UT) aims to serve 1 million students within the next two years. This target has been set as the current number of UT students has reached 856,444.

“This is part of our effort to ensure that in one to two years, we will be capable, worthy, and fit to serve 1 million students,” said the Rector of UT, Ali Muktiyanto, at UTCC, South Tangerang, on Friday (4/9/2026).

Ali stated that UT was established from the outset to expand access to higher education, making it reachable by the public without being limited by space or time. After more than four decades, the number of students served demonstrates the vast demand for a flexible higher education model.

“This scale demonstrates UT’s strategic role in providing higher education that is open, flexible, technology-based, and accessible without spatial or temporal boundaries,” he said.

According to Ali, UT’s future challenges involve not only expanding educational access but also increasing the quality of innovation and services for students. This has become a primary focus for UT as it enters its 4th decade of operation.

This spirit served as the theme for the peak event of UT’s 42nd Anniversary, “Going Global with Innovation, Impacting the Nation,” held at the UT Centre, South Tangerang.

The event marked the conclusion of the series of activities for UT’s 42nd Anniversary and the 2026 National Disporseni. The series of activities included academic, social, sporting, artistic, and innovation agendas, as well as award presentations.

The programme was also directed towards UT’s three main pillars: increasing academic prestige, expanding reach and student services, and enhancing the quality and capacity of governance.

During this momentum, UT also launched the UT Jakarta 2 application. The event coincided with the launch of the 42nd UT Anniversary Book and the Non-Teaching Material Book (BNBA).

Ali noted that UT’s 42-year journey shows that open education continues to evolve in line with societal needs. The expansion of educational access must be accompanied by service innovation so that more members of the public have the opportunity to learn and grow.

“We also ensure that every innovation, service, work, and collaboration provides broader opportunities for the community to learn, develop, and contribute to the nation,” said Ali.