TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's higher education system faces unprecedented contraction as universities eliminate academic offerings at rates not seen in half a decade. The Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部) announced Monday that 86 university classes have been canceled for the 2025 academic year as institutions grapple with Taiwan's plummeting birthrate. The demographic crisis has particularly impacted master's in-service programs, which account for 60% of all eliminated courses, signaling a significant restructuring of Taiwan's advanced education landscape.
Education officials stressed that these cancellations reflect a necessary realignment rather than institutional failure. The ministry noted that while universities maintain autonomy in curriculum decisions, these adjustments represent strategic responses to evolving national priorities and workforce requirements. The coordinated approach suggests Taiwan's education authorities are attempting to transform demographic challenges into opportunities for educational modernization, ensuring graduates possess skills relevant to emerging economic sectors despite the contracting student population.
The current surge represents the peak of a volatile five-year pattern in Taiwan's academic offerings. Historical data reveals significant fluctuations: 81 cancellations in 2021, followed by a drop to 45 in 2022, before climbing to 54 in 2023 and 53 in 2024, culminating in this year's record 86 eliminations. Among the institutions implementing major adjustments, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU, 台師大) has enacted particularly sweeping changes, discontinuing 16 in-service programs across scientific disciplines including chemistry, life sciences, and earth sciences for the upcoming academic year. These cuts at one of Taiwan's premier educational institutions highlight the far-reaching impact of demographic shifts on even the nation's most established universities.
Despite the unprecedented scale of cancellations, the MOE emphasized that institutional safeguards remain in place to prevent hasty or ill-considered curriculum changes. Officials detailed a rigorous multi-stage review process wherein all departmental adjustments must navigate internal evaluation procedures and secure university council approval before formal application for changes can proceed. This deliberative framework aims to balance institutional responsiveness with educational stability, ensuring that remaining academic programs effectively serve both student career prospects and Taiwan's broader economic objectives. The ministry characterized these structural adjustments as strategic realignments intended to strengthen connections between Taiwan's educational outputs and its evolving industrial requirements.
