The school is a university jointly established by the National Bureau of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and the People's Government of Heilongjiang Province. It is a university for building basic capacity in the central and western regions of China, a high-level university in Heilongjiang Province and a university for building superior disciplines.

Harbin university of science and technology was formed by the merger of harbin university of science and technology, Harbin Institute of Electrical Engineering and Harbin Institute of Technology under the former Ministry of Machinery Industry on 1995.

In 2008, it was identified as one of the ten key high-level universities in the construction plan of a strong higher education province in Heilongjiang Province.

The predecessor of Heilongjiang Institute of Technology is four secondary specialized schools under the four ministries and commissions of the state. First, Harbin Civil Engineering School was founded in 1952 and belongs to the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry. 1958 was renamed Harbin Metallurgical School.

2. Harbin Machine Building School, founded in 1952, is under the Ministry of Machinery Industry.

3. Harbin Urban Construction Engineering School, founded in 1956, belongs to the Department of Urban Construction Engineering.

4. Harbin Institute of Architecture and Engineering, founded in 1952, belongs to the Department of Architecture and Engineering.

1958 In July, Heilongjiang Education Work Conference discussed and decided to merge Harbin Civil Engineering School and Harbin Machine Building School to form heilongjiang institute of technology.