The history of BSTU dates back to June 1, 1930 when on the basis of Forestry Faculty of the Belarusian State Agriculural Academy the Forestry Institute was formed; its offcial opening was held on October 1, 1930 in the city of Gomel. The newly-born technical higher educational institution of the Republic faced the task of training the engineering staff for forestry, forest and woodworking industries.

In 1934 the Forestry Institute was renamed into the Belarusian Forestry Engineering Institute and was given the name of S.M. Kirov in 1935. In 1941 at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the Institute was evacuated to the city of Sverdlovsk and became a part of the Ural Forestry Engineering Institute. After liberation of Gomel from German fascist invaders the Institute was re-evacuated to Gomel. In August 1946 the Institute was transferred to Minsk.

Its reformation in 1961 into the Belarusian Technological Institute was inspired by an intensive development of the Republic’s chemical industry. It was put in charge of training engineers for chemical industries. Later it was given the name of the Belarusian Technological Institute named after S.M. Kirov.

On October 20, 1980 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR the Institute was awarded the Order of Red Labor Banner with its 50-th Anniversary and for its achievements in training highly-qualifed engineers and researchers.

Real flourishing of the Technological Institute started at the end of the 80-ies: science began its new development, new specialities were opened, material and technical facilities improved, laboratories were equipped with unique devices. In 1993 the Government of the Republic of Belarus granted the Institute the status of the University (the Belarusian State Technological University). At present the University greatly differs from the former Forestry Chemical Institute. 18 specialities (out of 27) given to the University graduates were opened during the last 20 years. The University possesses an educational, scientific, material-technical base which corresponds to the standards of the XXI century. This enables students and post-graduates to do research using modern information and innovative technologies. 

Technological competence of the University has enlarged: the University began training specialists in the field of  printing industry, data processing and publishing, petrochemical synthesis, paintwork materials, industrial ecology, bioecology, certification of industrial products and food-stuffs, automation of technological processes, biotechnology, medicines, perfumery and cosmetics, energy effective technologies, vocational training, materials of quantumsolid electronics, information systems and technologies, landscape architecture, accounting and analysis, economics and plant management, management, marketing. In 2009 the University opened speciality ‘‘Tourism and Nature Management’’, being the first in Belarus.

In 2005 by the decision of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus the University was granted the status of a leading higher educational institution in the field of forestry, chemical and printing industries.

In 2007 by the decision of the Council of the Governments of the Commonwealth of independent States the Belarusian State Technological University was granted the status of a basic higher educational institution of the CIS in the field of forestry and forest industry.

In 2009 the BSTU was the first among educational institutions of the state to introduce the Education Quality Management System which corresponds to the requirements of the Belarusian certification system STB ISO 9001-2009 and the German certification system DIN EN ISO 9001:2008.

In March 2010 BSTU was certifed for 5 years, it confrmed its status of a higher educational institution of a university type.