Sandra Borch will be re-elected and write a new master’s degree – NRK Troms and Finnmark

It was in a portrait interview with the newspaper Nordlys that it first emerged what plans Sandra Borch has for the future.

– I am motivated to work for my part of the country, Northern Norway, if Troms Sp wants it. There are many big and important issues in the north that deserve greater attentionsays Sandra Borch to NRK.

On 19 January, former research and higher education minister Sandra Borch (Sp) resigned as minister following revelations about plagiarism in her master’s thesis.

In mid-March, it became known that her master’s degree in law from the University of Tromsø was cancelled.

Borch decided not to appeal the decision.

– I have acknowledged that I was sloppy in my master’s thesis, but I have not deliberately cheated. As I have said before, I take responsibility for the mistake I have made, Borch said then.

Caught for plagiarism

Several parts of her master’s thesis from 2014 were identical to assignments submitted by previous students, without sources being given.

Now Borch also says that she wants to write a new master’s thesis in law.

– I have 4.5 years in law which has been approved, so it’s a bit awkward not to have completed the entire course, which I spent a lot of time on. Therefore, I will spend weekends and summer holidays writing a new master’s thesis.

– How did you come to the conclusion that it is right for you to write a new master’s thesis?

– I have always thought that I will write a new master’s thesis. I got more political experience since I wrote the previous one 10 years ago. I believe that I will be able to find a topic that engages and inspires more for writing, says Borch.

She has not decided on a theme yet.

– Requires discipline

– How will it be possible to combine the writing of a new master’s thesis with work as a parliamentary representative, compared to when you combined the thesis writing with being the head of the Youth Centre?

– Now it’s a mid-term election year. I finally have weekends off again. That, combined with writing during the summer holidays, should go well. But it will require structure and discipline.

Borch was head of the Youth Center when she wrote her previous master’s thesis. She has pointed to a lot of work to do in connection with the position as one of the reasons why she “slopped” with the task.

– There is no excuse for the mistakes I have made. Now I want to make up for those mistakes, it’s important to me. It is entirely possible to combine the duties of a Storting politician and master’s student, says Borch.

The 36-year-old from Lavangen kept a low profile in the period after she resigned as minister. Since the end of February, she has been back at the Storting.

– I have been very well received both in the Storting and in the justice committee. The biggest difference from being a minister is that you get to manage much more of your everyday life yourself. At the same time, it has been a privilege and rewarding to be a cabinet minister two ministries. It has been a great lesson that I take with me further.

Gets support from the county team

Leader of the Troms Center Party, Bengt-Magne Luneng, says it is gratifying that Borch is open for re-election.

– Sandra does a great job at the Storting. It is good that she is making herself available for several rounds at the Storting.

He says the county team still has confidence in Borch.

At the same time, he emphasizes that the party and Borch must go through a nomination process before it becomes clear whether she will be the party’s top candidate in Troms.

– I think that it is the Center Party’s policy that people choose based on. What has happened has happened. Sandra has apologized for the whole thing, and I think we need to raise our heads and bring out our good policy. Then we should manage to get at least one representative to the Storting next autumn.

Borch is in his second parliamentary term. She is now a member of the Justice Committee.

She says she has spent time deciding whether she wants to make herself available to take four new years in the Storting.

– Good and supportive words recently from both known and unknown people on social media, on the street and in the shop have also motivated me a lot, says Borch.