Universitas Nurdin Hamzah (UNH) is a higher education institution managed by the Dewi Nurdin Hamzah Foundation (YDNH). It was founded by Mrs. Dewi Asnah Nurdin, SH, the daughter of Mr. Nurdin Hamzah—an influential and highly respected figure in Jambi. Mrs. Dewi Asnah is also the sister of the late former Governor of Jambi, Drs. Zulkifli Nurdin, and the mother of the former Deputy Mayor of Jambi, Mr. M. Sum Indra, SE, MMSI.
The establishment of Nurdin Hamzah University was the result of merging two higher education institutions under YDNH: the School of Information and Computer Management (STMIK) Nurdin Hamzah and the School of Social and Political Sciences (STISIP) Nurdin Hamzah. This merger aimed to enhance more effective governance and respond to the government's agenda to strengthen the convergence and capacity of private universities (PTS) in Indonesia, as regulated in the Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Regulation No. 100 of 2016 on the Establishment, Change, Dissolution of Public Universities, and the Establishment, Change, and Revocation of Private University Permits. These foundations are formalized in the Decree of the Foundation No. 006/BA/PPTS/YDNH/08/2019 regarding the Establishment of UNH Jambi.
Through this merger, the two institutions were officially transformed into Nurdin Hamzah University (UNH). STMIK Nurdin Hamzah became the Faculty of Computer Science (Filkom) offering three study programs—two existing programs: (1) Information Systems, (2) Informatics Engineering, and one new program: (3) Information Technology. Meanwhile, STISIP Nurdin Hamzah became the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol) with two study programs: (1) Government Science and (2) Communication Science.
During its first five years, UNH focused on becoming a Teaching University, implementing the tri dharma of higher education with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship based on technology and social values (technopreneurship and socio-entrepreneurship). In its second five-year phase, UNH strives to become an Excellence Teaching University, while maintaining the technopreneurship and socio-entrepreneurship concepts. The third five-year phase focuses on preparing to become a Research University, followed by achieving the status of a Research University in the fourth five-year phase. In the fifth five-year period, UNH aims to become a National Class University.
All these stages reflect the logical progression of the university’s vision: to become an excellent and competitive institution in the development of knowledge with an entrepreneurial spirit grounded in technology and social values.