1985 19 February 19, People's Daily reported that with the approval of the State Council and the Central Military Commission, China's highest military institution, the National Defense University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, was established in Beijing. Chairman of the Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping signed an order appointing Zhang zhen as president of the National Defense University and Li Desheng as political commissar.

National Defense University is established on the basis of the merger of military, political and logistics colleges to meet the requirements of modern war and the need of streamlining and reorganization of our army. It is based on the strategic policy of active defense, facing modernization, the world and the future, and strives to become a contract command university that conforms to China's national conditions and has the characteristics of our army. It is both a teaching center and a scientific research center.

Extended data:

National Defense University will reform the cadre training system, contents and methods. Change the methods of training military and political cadres separately in the past, and conduct unified training for military, naval and air military and political cadres in mixed classes and departments;

In addition to recruiting senior military leaders, the Ministry of National Defense Research will also recruit senior leading cadres from relevant government departments to study national defense construction. Strive to achieve a high starting point, new content and wide knowledge in the course, and implement the elimination system in the management of student status.

In this way, it is conducive to training cadres who have entered the school to be generalists with high knowledge and versatility, strategic mind and contract combat command ability, and can fully command military, political and logistics work.

Mobile People's Network-1985 12 19 National Defense University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was established.