Mineral processing engineering at Northeastern University was established in 1949, as the first undergraduate subject of mineral processing engineering in China. The subject was qualified for master degree in 1981 and doctor degree in 1984 by Academic Degree Committee of the State Council. As a member of the first level discipline of Mining Engineering, the subject was qualified to establish postdoctoral station in 1991, and it was awarded the “Excellent Postdoctoral Station of China” in 2005. The subject was marked as the national major subject in 2007 and was established as the fourth batch of the national featured specialty in 2009. It also passed National Engineering Education Specialty in 2011. “Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Mineral Processing”, “Liaoning Province Engineering & Technological Research Center of Mineral Materials”, and “Shenyang Engineering & Technological Research Center of Nonmetallic Minerals in Efficient Processing and Utilization” were established to realize the transition of scientific and technological achievements based on this subject. The Research Center of Liaoning Province for Mineral Materials and Powder was awarded the “Innovative Team of Liaoning Province” in 2012.

The subject has 22 members, 6 professors, 8 associate professors, 12 lecturers and 3 senior engineers. 80% of them have doctoral degrees. 3 are “Education Ministry’s New Century Excellent Talents”, 7 are doctoral supervisors (including 3 part-time doctoral supervisors: academician Sun Chuanyao, academician Liu Jiongtian, and research fellow He Fayu). Professor Wei Dezhou is the member of Steering Committee of Ministry of Education in Mining Specialty’s Teaching. The subject has become an excellent academic team with rigorous attitude, innovative spirit, and reasonable age and position structure.

With the supports of “211” and “985” construction projects, the subject established some advanced laboratories, including analysis and detection for mineral processing, comprehensive separation, microbiological techniques of mineral resources, deep procession of nonmetallic minerals, simulation and control for mineral processing, process design and column separation, etc. Some featured research directions on the key technology of lean and refractory mineral resources processing, effective and ecological utilization of mineral resources, efficient processing and utilization of mineral materials, and simulation and automatic control of mineral processing, are in the leading position in domestic institutions.

In recent five years, the subject hosted 2 projects of “973 Program”, 5 projects of “863 Program”, 14 National Planning Projects, 1 Key Program, 13 General and 5 Young Scientists Founds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 3 international cooperation projects, and 16 projects of science and technology planning, with a total research fund of 10 million RMB per year. The discipline has obtained 6 rewards from province and ministry as well as 16 national patents. 18 monographs and more than 500 articles in domestic and international academic journals and conferences have been published. The self-developed products and devices such as CaSO4 whiskers, nano-CaCO3, magnetic column with pulsating vibration magnetic field, numerical pulse demagnetizer, and high intensity magnetic roller have been industrialized.

Currently, the Research Institute of Mineral Engineering has built close cooperation with more than 10 universities and research institutes in America, Australia, Canada, England, Japan, South Africa and other countries. Many academic exchange activities are performed in the ways of visiting and lectures, teacher re-training, joint training doctoral students, project cooperation and hosting international conferences every year. The Powder Association of Mineral Processing Committee of the Chinese Society for Metal, Nonmetallic Minerals Committee of Liaoning Province Association of Silicate and Process Mineralogy Committee are all attached to the research institute, and the corresponding academic activities are carried out regularly.