The Institute of Creative Arts and Technology (iCreaTe) was initially known as the Institute of Design and Ergonomic Application (IDEA) which was incorporated back in October 1996. In keeping with the thrust of university of being at the forefront of innovation, it was decided that IDEA would take on a bigger role and thus was renamed as the Institute of Design and Innovation (InDI) on 1st March 2011. On 23 February 2018, InDI then rebranded to Institute of Creative Arts and Technology.

UNIMAS will continue to explore to the fullest the potential present in this region and harness the economic, social, cultural, and environmental resources of this state for sustainable development and socioeconomic change that would benefit not only Sarawak but the nation as a whole. It will, however, not lose sight of the happenings beyond this region, as UNIMAS will continue to adapt, evolve and respond to the challenges in research and academia in the global context. Thus, our move to this ultra modern state-of-the-art permanent campus is more than just a technological and infrastructural face lift. It is an indication of our desire to expand and move far beyond the academic and research excellence that we practise today. But in our contemplation of change, we will not compromise on our basic premises: the academic and research endeavours at UNIMAS will continue to place at the forefront its students' development and the economic and social development of the state and the nation. UNIMAS appreciates and recognises that the entire university community represents many different talents and expertise. While the academicians and researchers hold the main responsibility for quality in education and research excellence, the drive to excellence requires the cumulative support of everyone on campus. Let us all work together to help shape an environment that would propel the university and its community to greater heights.