The two-day annual meeting for the 2023 academic year of university presidents started on Jan. 5. In 2024, males born in or after 2005 will be required to serve one year in compulsory military service. The Ministry of National Defense intends to allow conscripts to complete their military service during their four years of university.
The length of compulsory military service has been reinstated to one year. How will conscripts balance their studies and military service? The Ministry of National Defense intends to allow conscripts to complete their military service during their four years of university, and the supporting measures include relaxing the number of maximum course credits and summer school and winter school. China Medical University said it will depend on the department.
Hung Mien-chie, President, China Medical University: “Some departments arrange for internships during summer or winter vacation, so it may be more difficult for them. However, many departments can do this.”
Shih Hsin University said it will do its best to cooperate with government policy, but there will be challenges in the implementation, such as how to provide stability to females in the same classes.
Chen Ching-ho, President, Shih Hsin University: “Public universities didn't have issues in the past, but private universities did. What was it? You get additional course credits for summer or winter school. Schools will do their best to cooperate, but like I just said, we need to have a comprehensive set of supporting measures.”
National Central University said lifelong learning is normal now. The length of time students have to graduate can be extended to give them greater flexibility in making personal arrangements and planning.
Chou Ching-yang, Chair, Association of Nat'l Universities of Taiwan: “It doesn't have to be concentrated in the summer and winter vacations, and you don't have to do your service in the middle of your last year and return. It will become very natural. The state policy was to extend it to one year, and we want everyone's mind to open.”
The issue of how to respond to the extension of the compulsory military service period wasn't on the agenda for the annual meeting of university presidents. However, they said many details can be resolved administratively and they will cooperate with the government policy.
義務役延長到一年拍板，如何讓役男兼顧學業與就業？國防部研議，大學4年完成服役，配套包括放寬學分上限，利用寒暑假修課。中國醫藥大學校長洪明奇認為，可視校系來因應。
中國醫藥大學校長洪明奇指出：「看那個屬性，有一些科系是會安排寒暑假會要實習，對不對，那些科系可能會被稍微，但是有很多科系是可以這樣做。」
世新大學校長陳清河強調，大學會盡量配合國家政策，但比如修課穩定度，同班的女同學如何分流學習？都是執行上的挑戰。
世新大學校長陳清河表示：「在過去公立大學大概沒什麼問題，但是私立大學就會，有一點小問題的地方在哪裡呢？因為寒暑假修課是另外收學分的，學校也會盡量的來配合沒有錯，但是這裡面就要我剛剛所說的，我們的配套要必須做的完整。」
國立大學校院協會理事長、中央大學校長周景揚指出，現在早是終身學習，因此像是拉開畢業年限的限制，讓學生個人安排保持彈性，自己去規劃如何銜接。
國立大學校院協進會理事長周景揚認為：「不一定說只集中在寒暑假，也不一定是說我最後一年，也許我在中間就去當兵，然後再回來，其實會變得很自然，所以既然是國家政策已經是延遲一年，我們就要每個人的思維就可以打開。」
一年一度的大學校長會議，因應兵役延長，大學如何因應，並不在討論議程，但校長們認為，很多細節，行政上可以解決，大學會配合國家政策。
