TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Students and faculty at National Taiwan University welcomed the beginning of what will be the longest winter break in the school’s history this weekend.

In recent years, changes to the academic calendar have reduced semesters to 16 weeks at NTU and several other Taiwanese universities. As a result, NTU’s winter break for the 2025-2026 school year began with end of classes on Friday and will last for over two months, reported UDN. 

The official dates of NTU’s winter break are Dec. 22 to Feb. 23. With weekends at each end included, students and teachers will enjoy 65 days of rest this year.

The decision to shorten semesters to 16 weeks and extend winter break was made to bring Taiwan’s top universities closer in line with international norms for the start and finish of the academic year. Currently, 12 colleges and universities have implemented flexible scheduling for their academic calendars.

NTU, along with National Taiwan Normal University, and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology have adopted the revised academic calendar in recent years. They have opted to start classes on Sept. 1 and finish courses the third week of December.

The Ministry of Education expects more universities to adopt the 16-week semester system moving forward. With the longer academic breaks, schools are encouraged to increase course offerings in the summer and winter. 

It is hoped that the revised calendar will allow students to pursue a wider range of opportunities to pursue independent learning programs and interdisciplinary educational experiences, per UDN.