The history of the school is closely and inseparably linked with the development of the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation (SibNIIA) named after S. A. Chaplygin and Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (now SB RAS). The founder of the school Prof. L. M. Kurshin, D. Sc. (Eng.), Member of the USSR National Committee on theoretical and applied mechanics, was one of the leading experts in the field of strength and stability of aircraft structures. Due to the fast development of aviation in the 1960s and 1970s there was a need for qualified specialists in strength of aircraft structures. To meet this need the department of aircraft strength was set up at the Novosibirsk Electrical Engineering Institute (now NSTU) on the initiative of L. M. Kurshin, with SibNIIA rendering support and assistance in every way. The department began to train engineers in “Dynamics and Strength of Aircraft” and in 1973 the first graduates received their certificates.
Leading scientists and researchers from SibNIIA and SB RAS were involved in research and training students at the department, among them professors D. E. Bryukker, I. G. Kolker, R. E. Lamper, V. N. Maximenko, V. L. Prisekin, V. G. Suvernev, A. N. Seryoznov, B. P. Filimonov and others. In succeeding years the most talented students formed the core of the school.. At the moment the school is successfully developing. The scientists and researchers conduct investigations in such new fields of engineering as procedures of strength calculation of new composite materials, mathematical simulation of test stand systems for automatic stress control, etc. The school maintains close contacts with other research centres of Russian universities and cooperates with academic institutions concerned with the same problems.
Currently, 34 staff members including 4 postdoctoral and 6 doctoral students are conducting research within the school.