Thursday, 3 September 2026 — President University welcomed Matthew Johnson-Idan, Head of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Indonesia, as a speaker on the first day of PREUNI 2026 at the President University Convention Center (PUCC), Jababeka City. He encouraged new students to develop international perspectives as they prepare to address problems that increasingly extend across national borders.

Johnson-Idan explained that when problems cross borders but people approach them only from a local perspective, they risk misunderstanding the situation and developing inappropriate solutions. He also emphasized that international perspectives allow people to recognize assumptions shaped by their own experiences by engaging with people whose ways of thinking differ from theirs.

“If the problems are transboundary and your thinking is not, then you will systematically misdiagnose the situation in front of you,” Johnson-Idan said. He encouraged students to connect with practitioners across borders, listen to different perspectives, and understand the context behind successful practices rather than simply copying them.

Johnson-Idan also reminded students that having people from many nationalities on campus is an opportunity. He encouraged them to make the most of this opportunity by cultivating difficult friendships, learning another language, and building networks beyond familiar groups.