The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have a long standing and strong relationship since the establishment of the SAFTI Military Institute in cooperating and working closely on various educational, research and instructor development initiatives.  This unique relationship was formalised on 17^th June 2008 through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a Strategic Partnership on Continuing Education in the SAF.  The SAF-NTU Academy was set up on 7^th May 2010 as a step forward to further strengthen the SAF-NTU Strategic Partnership and to serve the needs of the SAF and NTU through the development and implementation of education and research programmes-of-choice. 

The SAF is committed to nurturing its people at all levels of the organisation.  By developing leadership and cognitive capabilities, coupling with an attitude for lifelong learning, the SAF seeks to groom scholar-soldiers as part of its operationally effective, highly competent, resilient and cognitively agile force.   NTU, on its part, is a premier Institute of Higher Learning renowned globally for its interdisciplinary education, research and technology development. 

The SAF-NTU Strategic Partnership thus enables the SAF to tap into NTU’s academic expertise and the larger education ecosystem to grow a pool of deep specialists with both military and academic experience.  For NTU, the SAF is a strategic partner in the areas of military leadership, war and security studies and defence technology.