Science and Production, Sports and International Cooperation, the Restoration of the Institute and the Anniversaries of Youth Movements — all of this has merged into the unified history of the Belarusian National Technical University. It is enough to look at a few June dates to see that the technical university has lived and is still living a rich and diverse life.
This day was marked by several events, each of which reflects the scientific and international potential of BNTU in its own way.
In 1978, scientists from the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute, together with specialists from the Minsk Heating Equipment Plant and the Large-Panel Housing Construction Plant No. 2, experimentally proved that spent molding mixtures could be used instead of sand in the production of concrete mortar. The discovery had a direct economic impact, as the recycling of waste reduced the cost of construction materials.
On June 17, 2014, BNTU signed a cooperation agreement with Northeastern University (NEU), one of China's leading technical universities. This agreement opened up new opportunities for academic exchanges, joint research, and the implementation of double degrees. The collaboration quickly evolved into specific projects, with the establishment of the BNTU's unique Confucius Institute for Science and Technology being a significant milestone. The grand opening ceremony of the institute at the BNTU took place on October 21, 2014. Over the years, the institute has taught Chinese to more than 10,000 students, and a unique Russian-Chinese-English dictionary of technical terms in key fields, from mechanical engineering to information technology, has been created for the needs of students and researchers. Today, Chinese can be studied as the first foreign language at the BNTU. In addition, the institute ensures a seamless transition from school to lyceum to university, where graduates of schools with Chinese language education continue to study it at the university. A special emphasis is placed on technical Chinese.
The cooperation did not stop there. The strong friendship and partnership between the universities continue to develop. A landmark step was the signing of an agreement on the establishment of a joint Chinese technology faculty on September 5, 2025, which took place as part of the 2025 International Conference on Integration and Development of Industry, Education, and Research in Harbin.
On June 17, 2025, a seminar dedicated to inventive and patent-licensing activities was held at the Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Problems of the Belarusian State University (RIPP BSU). Lilia Tumashik, a leading engineer for patent and inventive work at the Belarusian National Technical University, represented the university at the event.
Yuri Nechepurenko, the head of the Research and Innovation Department at RIPP BSU and a candidate of chemical sciences, was the key speaker. According to the data, from 1995 to January 1, 2025, BNTU received 1,109 patents under the national procedure and 76 patents under the regional (Eurasian) procedure (83, including branches). This is an absolute record among all higher education institutions and scientific organizations in the country. The seminar confirmed that BNTU's patent and licensing activities are organized on a systematic basis, and the university's engineering developments are protected by intellectual rights at the highest level.
On this day in 2024, Maxim Tsaruk, a student of the Faculty of Information Technology and Robotics, won a silver medal in the rapid chess competition at the BRICS Sports Games in Kazan. A total of 26 chess players participated in the rapid chess tournament, playing 9 games each according to the Swiss system. Maxim won seven games, earning a silver medal.
But this was not the only success of the Belarusian chess player at the games: on June 19, Maxim Tsaruk also climbed the podium in the blitz, this time to the third step. At the end of the competition, he scored 7.5 points. The bronze in the blitz was a fitting end to his performance.
Significant events in the history of the university also took place on June 20, 1933. It was then that the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus (the Central Committee of the CP(b)B) held a special meeting to summarize the results of the work on the reestablishment of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute. At that time, the country was facing a severe shortage of engineering personnel, as the expansion of Belarus' territory, the restoration of industry, and the pursuit of industrialization required skilled professionals. The Resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR dated September 19, 1929, "On Higher Education and Technical Schools," aimed to consolidate and enlarge similar educational institutions, and on December 14, 1929, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Belarus decided to reestablish a higher technical educational institution in Minsk.
The measures taken following the meeting on June 20, 1933, allowed for the completion of construction. On July 1, 1933, the Council of People's Commissars of the Socialist Republic of Belarus adopted a resolution "On the Organization of the Polytechnic Institute." Several smaller specialized institutes, including the Energy Institute, Construction Institute, Peat Institute, Water Management Institute, Chemical Technology Institute, and Food Industry Institute, were reorganized into a unified Polytechnic Institute. The reborn BPI received four major faculties: the Faculty of Civil Engineering, the Faculty of Energy Engineering, the Faculty of Peat Management, and the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, which trained engineers in eight different fields. Thus, the meeting held on June 20, 1933, gave the institute a second lease on life and paved the way for the development of the current BNTU.
On this day in 2023, a festive event dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the student brigade movement in Belarus was held at the BNTU. The first vice-rector, Georgy Vershina, addressed the fighters and veterans, encouraging them to achieve great feats, while the guests of honor, Ivan Chesak, a member of the Council of Veterans of the Republican Headquarters of Student Troops, and Ivan Shostak, the head of the Council of Veterans of Student Troops, shared their memories of their own years in the student troops. The evening concluded with a festive concert organized by the Department of Culture at BNTU.
Student troops are a special chapter in the lives of students. Our university has always been at the forefront of this movement, and the anniversary was an opportunity to gather veterans, award the best fighters and commanders, and show that the tradition is still alive — modern student teams from BNTU continue to work on the republic's facilities.
This is how the university's true history is built, day by day, through scientific research, athletic victories, historical decisions, and the ongoing connection between generations.
