The University of Exeter has approved plans for a “formal partnership” with Saudi Arabia to train senior military officers and government officials, despite long-held concerns about the Saudi government’s human rights record, the Guardian has learned.

In a deal that could generate millions of pounds for the Russell Group university, Exeter academics will deliver an MA in applied security and strategy (also known as an MStrat) to a cohort at the National Defense University (NDU) in Riyadh.

The MA will form the academic component of the NDU’s global strategy and strategic leadership programme, starting in 2026-27, and will be delivered to about 20 individuals per year, over three years. Until two years ago, the NDU was called the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College.

The Saudi partnership has come to light at a time when the university is under fire from leading writers, broadcasters, academics and other alumni over plans to cut 150 jobs, primarily in the humanities, arts and social sciences, for which the highly ranked university is renowned.

The Exeter branch of the University and College Union (UCU) accused university managers of chasing “dirty money”.

A UCU spokesperson said: “We are horrified but hardly surprised to learn that management at Exeter are more interested in flogging military training to despotic regimes than in defending world-class humanities and social sciences teaching.”

The Exeter deal has not been widely publicised. It was approved by the university council in February this year, then endorsed by its senate the following month. In council minutes, seen by the Guardian, the partnership with the NDU is marked “Strictly confidential and commercial in confidence”.

In its marketing material, the university says the MStrat blends “academic depth with practical application”. It is aimed at working professionals in the armed forces, the government and international organisations and “offers a rigorous yet flexible environment in which to build strategic expertise”.

UK universities often sell consultancy and training to foreign governments via contracts worth millions of pounds. All such proposals have to be vetted first by university authorities to assess the legal, ethical and security risks of any potential collaboration.

Similar concerns were raised earlier this year when the Judge business school at the University of Cambridge put forward proposals to provide “leadership development” and “innovation management” to Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry. Senior academics described it as “horrifying” and a betrayal of the university’s commitments to freedom of expression.

Last month, the UK government announced the formation of a defence universities alliance – with Exeter among the 35 founding members – to “bring together academia and the armed forces” as part of a £182m investment to strengthen defence research and build critical skills.

A spokesperson for Exeter University said: “The MA in applied security and strategy has been taught at Exeter since 2012 through our strategy and security institute. Its students include serving British military personnel sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and Chevening scholars supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

“We are in discussions to deliver this established Exeter programme to a cohort at the National Defense University in Riyadh. Professional military education has formed part of the UK’s defence relationship with Saudi Arabia for many years, including through UK government institutions.

“Partnerships of this kind are assessed on academic and ethical grounds, through a process separate from budget planning.

“Like universities across the sector, Exeter continues to develop external partnerships and educational activity that supports our academic mission and enables our expertise to have impact in the UK and internationally.”

The UCU spokesperson responded: “Rather than chasing dirty money like this, we believe a university should be about protecting freedom of speech, upholding human rights and ensuring a wide range of brilliant courses and a fantastic student experience.”