Sandra Borch

Sandra Konstance Nygård Borch (born 23 April 1988) is a Norwegian politician who served as the minister of research and higher education from 2023 to 2024 until her resignation over the extensive plagiarism of her master's thesis.

As minister she had launched a crackdown on students' reuse of their own texts, so-called "self-plagiarism," leading to criticism from many academics who argued that reuse of one's own work is not plagiarism or research misconduct.

She previously served as minister of agriculture and food from 2021 to 2023.

She graduated from Sjøvegan high school in 2007 and received a Master of Jurisprudence from the University of Tromsø in 2014.

She received the grade D in the ECTS grading scale.

Borch is a native Norwegian speaker, and has said that she has some Sámi ancestry.

She was leader of the Troms branch of the Centre Youth from 2007 to 2009, before she became a member of the Centre Youth's central board.

Borch was elected a deputy member from Troms for the Centre Party in 2009, and later an ordinary member to the Storting for the period 2017–2021.

She then served as the international relations leader from 2009 to 2010, and organisational deputy leader from 2010 to 2011.

A member of the Centre Party, she served as the leader of the Centre Youth from 2011 to 2013, while simultaneously serving as a deputy MP from her home constituency of Troms from 2009 to 2013.

In November 2011, she was elected the new leader of the Centre Youth with 85 votes against her opponent Lars Vangen's 80.

In October 2012, the Centre Youth asked in a letter to the Centre Party's central board that the party should challenge the leadership style of Liv Signe Navarsete after she had become loudly angry at Borch.

The background was that Borch had the same day opened for Ola Borten Moe as a possible future leader of the Centre Party.

After a debate at a central board meeting five days later, and an unreserved apology from Navarsete, Borch expressed that she had full confidence in her.

As leader of the Centre Youth, Borch opened up for a new debate and oil extraction in Lofoten and Vesterålen.

The proposal was however voted down at the Centre Youth's congress in November 2012.

Borch notably took a stand against cyber bullying after she experienced it herself surrounding her height.

In a blog post, she expressed disgust with anonymous bullies and called them cowards.

She further expressed that cyber bullying had become a big and widespread problem in society, and called for it to be put on the agenda.

In 2013 she registered as Sámi.

In 2024 her registration as Sámi was criticized as inauthentic, in connection with an investigation into "pseudo-Sámi" by the Sámi Parliament of Norway.

Registering as Sámi gives various benefits, including specific higher education quotas, as well as the right to vote in Sámi Parliament elections.

In early 2024 it was revealed that significant parts of her master's thesis had been plagiarized from older master's theses by students at other Norwegian universities, leading to calls for her immediate resignation.

E24 documented that at least 20% of the thesis has been plagiarized from six other master's theses.

Aftenposten further documented that an additional 10,000 characters were plagiarized from a report commissioned by the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion.

Lawyer and expert on intellectual property law Magnus Stray Vyrje said her plagiarism was "as serious as it can get" and that the withdrawal of her degree is a likely outcome.

Law professor Terje Einarsen said Borch's degree can be revoked and she can be banned for studying at Norwegian universities for cheating at an exam.

As a result of the plagiarism affair she resigned from her political roles in the evening of 19 January 2024.

In September 2013, Borch announced that she would not seek re-election as leader, despite having previously indicated that she wanted to.

She cited her reason being that she disagreed with the mother party's business policies.

In November, she was succeeded by Erling Laugsand.

She was elected a permanent representative in 2017.

In January 2024 it was revealed that significant parts of her master's thesis had been plagiarised.

She announced her resignation in the evening of 19 January 2024.

She risks losing her degree.

In the Storting, she was a member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment from 2017 to 2021.

She was re-elected to the Storting for the period 2021–2025.

While being a member of the Støre cabinet between 2021 and 2024, Ivar B. Prestbakmo met in her place.

Following her departure as minister, she joined the Standing Committee on Justice.

Following Ola Borten Moe's resignation, Borch was floated by the Troms and Nordland branches as a candidate to replace him as deputy leader of the party.