Sandra Borch is a Norwegian politician who held the position of Minister of Research and Higher Education from 2023 to 2024, having previously served as Minister of Agriculture and Food from 2021 to 2023.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 35 years
Full name-Sandra Konstance Nygård Borch
Height- 1.42 m
Weight-65 kg
Born- 23 April 1988
Birthplace- Lavangen Municipality, Norway
Profession-Politician, Minister of Research and Higher Education of Norway
Party- Centre Party
Office-Member of the Norwegian Parliament since 2017
Nationality- Norwegian
Parents
Her parents are Yvonne Nygård Borch and Kjetil Solberg. Borch grew up in Lavangen.
Boyfriend
She began dating Peter Paulsen, and in June 2023, she publicly announced that she was in a relationship with him. They initially met while celebrating her brother’s birthday before Christmas in 2022.
Education
In 2007, she completed her education at Sjøvegan High School, and in 2014, she attained a Master of Jurisprudence from the University of Tromsø.
Career
Borch became a deputy member from Troms for the Centre Party in 2009 and later served as an ordinary member in the Storting from 2017 to 2021, contributing as a member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment during this period. Successfully re-elected for the term 2021–2025, she held leadership roles within the Centre Youth, including leading the Troms branch and serving on the central board.
In her initial role as Minister, Borch intervened to halt the sale of the Løken farm in Volbu, Valdres, expressing the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with Øystre Slidre municipality for a more suitable farm ownership and operation. During the autumn of 2021, she navigated negotiations between farmers’ organizations and the state, reaching a compensation agreement of 754 million NOK due to price increases. In January 2022, as agricultural settlement negotiations loomed, Borch declined a proposal for additional talks, citing previous agreements.
In January 2023, she addressed the Fosen case, vowing to represent the reindeer industry’s perspective to the government, emphasizing the complexities of area disputes. She highlighted positive dialogues with the reindeer industry, based on her firsthand visit to Fosen. Upon her appointment as Minister of Research and Higher Education, Geir Pollestad succeeded her on August 4.
Soon after taking office, Borch collaborated with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to announce the government’s approval for the construction of a new campus at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Subsequently, she and the prime minister disclosed government investments in artificial intelligence and digital technology research. Borch commended the University of Tromsø’s program encouraging male students in health professions during her visit in October. In December, she announced the Ministry of Education’s rejection of a request from universities and colleges to eliminate grade requirements for teacher and nurse degree applicants, prompting concerns about declining applicants in these fields.
Net worth
Sandra Borch’s net worth is $5 million.
Norwegian Minister Sandra Borch Resigns amidst Plagiarism Scandal
In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through Norway, Sandra Borch, the Minister of Research and Higher Education, resigned from her position after admitting to plagiarism in her 2014 master’s dissertation. The Norwegian media brought the incident to light, noting distinct similarities between Borch’s work and the dissertations of two other students.
These similarities included word-for-word passages with identical typing errors. During a press conference, Borch admitted to incorporating sections from other dissertations without proper citation, promptly followed by her resignation. This scandal has significantly impacted Borch’s reputation, particularly in light of her recent involvement in a Supreme Court case concerning a student accused of self-plagiarism.
