The Chair of Mathematical Modelling was founded in 1964 to prepare specialists in computing and applied mathematics. Up to 1997, it was called the Chair of Computational Techniques of Continuum Mechanics. The member of The USSR Academy of Sciences Nikolay Nikolaevich Yanenko (1921-1984) was its founder and the Head during a number of years. Professor Yanenko was the Hero of Socialist Labour, an outstanding Soviet mathematician and mechanician as well.

From 1984 to 1989, the chair was headed by Viktor Georgievich Dulov (1928-2001), the corresponding member of The Russian Academy of Sciences. Professor Viktor Mikhailovich Kovenya has been the head of the chair since 1989.

The chair is based on the following research institutes of The Siberian Branch of The Russian Academy of Sciences:

• Institute of Computational Technologies
• Institute of Hydrodynamics named after M.A. Lavrentyev
• Institute of Thermal Physics.

The chair offers to receive training in the following fields:

• Numerical techniques of continuum mechanics
• Mathematical techniques and mathematical modelling applied to scientific research
• Liquid, gas and plasma mechanics
• Computing mathematics
• Differential equations

While working at their term papers and theses in research institutes students are guided by leading specialists with subjects of their works corresponding to those of the institutes’ research.