TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Students at National Taiwan University (NTU) will be allowed to apply for two extra days off per semester according to their religious or cultural background, reports said Saturday (June 15).

The college is following the example of National Chengchi University (NCCU), which decided late last year to introduce a similar program. The student association behind the proposal at NTU said the college numbered students from many different countries, cultures, and ethnic groups, the Liberty Times reported.

The recently passed amendment to the NTU holiday rules took into account the diverse backgrounds of the student population. The students applying for the extra days off would have to provide evidence of the event they wanted to participate in, the report said.

NTU conducted a poll among its students and teachers to ask for their thinking about multicultural holidays, including a measure expanding the special days off for Indigenous Taiwanese students from one to five. The proposal received a positive response from 90% of the students.

In the end, NTU decided to allow four days off per semester or eight days per academic year for students with an Indigenous background, or whose spouse or parents belong to an Indigenous group. The number of multicultural days off was set at two per semester, following the example of NCCU.