Kolej Tun Dr. Ismail (KTDI) is one of the earliest residential colleges built at the UPM Serdang campus. Formerly known by the nickname “Third,” referring to its position as the third college developed after the First and Second Colleges.

Its construction began in February 1973 and was fully completed by July 1975. As one of the projects under the Second Malaysia Plan, the government allocated RM2.3 million for the construction of this college.

The new name of the college was chosen to honor Tun Dr. Ismail, Malaysia’s second Deputy Prime Minister, as a tribute to his contributions and stature as a respected national leader. The name Kolej Tun Dr. Ismail was officially adopted on 1 January 1995.

In 2019, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) introduced a merger plan for residential colleges known as the Governance Transformation Plan. The purpose of this plan was to maximize workforce efficiency and enhance the effectiveness of service delivery. In line with UPM’s vision, Kolej Tun Dr. Ismail was merged with the Fifth College on 15 June 2019, and the principalship and administrative structure were reorganized accordingly.

Following the merger, the name Kolej Tun Dr. Ismail has been retained and continues to be used to this day, including the continued use of its logo and motto.