Establishment History

The history of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) began with the establishment of the Malaysian Armed Forces Academy (Akademi Tentera Malaysia, ATMA) on 1 June 1995.

ATMA was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting undergraduate academic programmes and military training for Officer Cadets of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF). Its role was later expanded, and ATMA was officially gazetted as Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) on 10 November 2006.

Although UPNM admitted its first cohort of students in the 2007/2008 academic session, it had in fact accumulated 11 years of experience in conducting undergraduate programmes from 1995 to 2006 through a collaborative programme between the Ministry of Defence and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. During this period, approximately 1,017 graduates were produced in three major fields: Engineering, Science, and Management. In addition to obtaining professional qualifications, all graduates were commissioned as officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces and are currently serving in various units of the Malaysian Army, the Royal Malaysian Navy, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

The academic programmes offered by these faculties are comparable to those of other public universities both locally and internationally. These programmes are designed to attract students by offering curricula that emphasise hands-on learning in defence-related science and technology. The knowledge acquired can be applied to national defence assets such as naval vessels, aircraft, and military equipment within the Malaysian Armed Forces. Furthermore, the skills and expertise gained are also applicable to industrial sectors that are driven by advanced science and technology.