The Institute of Safety Engineering has a long history of teaching and research on safety science and engineering. The institute was originally from the former department of mine ventilation founded in 1952. In 1953, the institute started the first enrollment of graduate students in research issue of mine ventilation. Some distinguished scholars used to work here, such as Guan Shao-zong, Sui Peng-cheng, Wang Ying-min and so on.

In China, the first safety engineering undergraduate professional education was started here in 1983, graduate education in 1987, and postgraduate education in 1993. The institute got financial support from Liaoning Province Leading Academic Discipline Project in 2001, and subsequently established Liaoning Province key Lab for non-coal mine safety science and technology in 2009. Since 2011, it has doctoral and post-doctorate authorization level discipline in safety technology and engineering. Since 2012, it established the postdoctoral station in safety technology and engineering.

There are 19 full-time faculty and staff members, including 5 full professors, 5 associate professors, 5 lecturers and 4 laboratory technicians. More than 70% of the members have a doctoral degree, in which 4 of them as the members of China Safety Engineering Society.

The institute has shown integrated advantages and distinct features in five aspects, theory and technology of system safety, safe and efficient mining, dust removal by ventilation, prevention and theory of dust and gas explosion in industry and fire dynamics and key technology of fire prevention.

The theory of the two kinds of hazards has greatly promoted the development of the discipline of Safety Science and Engineering in China. Also, the adaptive law of the three disciplines has improved the way of complex mining, and achieved safety mining goals. Research on the emergency evacuation of major accident was carried out in the early age, and the assurance and emergency system of fire safety for typical places and mining enterprises has been set up. Extensive work has been done about the principles and technology of professional sanitary engineering. A new discipline system was developed and improved regarding the motion of dust and gas, and control techniques. Filter Test Center (national level) and Research Center of high-tech filter material engineering technology (Liaoning province level) were founded. The center has been involved in the draft of a number of international and national standards and environmental protection product certification technical conditions. A new research area of explosion reaction engineering was proposed and the experimental explosion system created has caught up with the national advanced level.

The institute always pays attention to the relationship between academic research and economic development, basic research and its further application. In recent 5 years, over 80 research projects were accomplished, with cost of forty million RMB.

The institute attached great importance to international academic exchange and cooperation, and connected some international institutes, such as National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan, FSA in Germany, Bergen University in Norway, University of Minnesota in USA, and so on. Since 2006, the international colloquium on safety science and technology was organized four times here.

As part of the 211 and 985 programs, more than fifth teen million funds were invested for development of safety science and engineering in NEU. The investment was mainly used for experimental system establishment, talent recruitment, and so on. The Liaoning province key Lab for non-coal mine safety was established in 2009, with area of 1500 m2, and 15 high-level apparatus such as MIE test system, PIV system, virtual reality system of digital mine (from Canada), pipe network system of dust explosion, and so on.

Liaoning province filter test center was established, as the sole authorized institute in China. Fire & Explosion experimental system has reached the national level (e.g. pipes and vessel system, MIE test system), parts of them reaching the international level. The test system was able to detect all explosibility parameters of combustible dusts. 5 domestic patents were obtained, including venting plate, positive explosion prevention method and apparatus, and so on.

The experimental system of high pressure water mist extinguishing system and thermal environment control was also established to study fire dynamics, smoke control, water mist extinguishing mechanism and its capability in tunnel, subway, underground mine, and oil tank. The system has reached the national level to study the geothermal heat damage control.

Nearly 240 academic papers have been published, with over 160 of them indexed by SCI, EI and ISTP. Moreover, other research achievements were obtained recently, including 12 textbooks, 1 the second prize of technological progress with the national level, 14 with province level, and 6 patents.