Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland | |
|---|---|
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| Minister of Research and Higher Education | |
| Assumed office 4 February 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Jonas Gahr Støre |
| Preceded by | Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1978-02-11)11 February 1978 (age 47) Grimstad, Aust-Agder, Norway |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Johns Hopkins University University of Bergen University of Perpignan |
| Occupation | Politician |
Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland (born 11 February 1978) is a Norwegian politician for theLabour Party. She has beenMinister of Research and Higher Education since February 2025.
From 2021 to 2024 Aasland chaired the environmental organisationZERO. She was also involved with the think tank Agenda, where she served as its deputy leader. She was appointedState Secretary in theMinistry of Climate and Environment in 2024.[1][2]
Following theCentre Party's withdrawal from government, she was appointed minister of research and higher education on 4 February 2025.[3]
A month into her tenure, Aasland met with representatives of the research sector to discuss and address budget cuts in the sector in the United States. Aasland expressed that the concerns were widespread in particular in the health and climate sectors, citing leading scientists and researchers in the US and that the Norwegian sector also was concerned about fat access and collaboration between the two countries. On the other hand, she couldn't pledge more allocated budget from the government focused on data and science.[4]
Later in March, she announced the establishment of a commission which will look into howartificial intelligence can be better utilised in the higher education sector. In announcing the commission, she stated that she expressed hopes that the commission could provide new rules for how AI could and should be better utilised in the sector. The commission is scheduled to deliver their report by 1 October 2026.[5]
She expressed concerns for the limitation of freedom of expression in the United States in early April and warned Norwegian students of the risk of studying abroad generally speaking, can come with different types of risks compared to studying in Norway. She also expressed that it should be an individual consideration to do so, and further recommended listening to travel advice from Norwegian authorities.[6]
With the government allocating 1.2 billion NOK toartificial intelligence research in June, Aasland hailed the importance of the research, strengthening the sector in the long term and how the government would be aiming to breech the topic offensively.[7]
Weeks before the2025 parliamentary election, Aasland visitedKristiansand and announced that the government would be setting of budget to open 30 slots for psychology studies at theUniversity of Agder, with the plan for it to come into affect at the 2026 autumn semester.[8]
Aasland announced in October that the government would be putting down a commission whose mission it will be to look into the loan and stipends Norwegian students receive and the economic support for students as a whole, with a report scheduled for 2027. Their has long been calls for the economic support scheme for students to be reviewed again and the move was welcomed by the Norwegian Union of Students, who stated that the move was long overdue.[9]
Born on 11 February 1978, Aasland hails fromGrimstad. She graduated ininternational economics and conflict management fromJohns Hopkins University in 2003. She had also studied at theUniversity of Bergen and theUniversity of Perpignan.[2]
She is the niece of former minister of research and higher educationTora Aasland, who held the position between 2007 and 2012.[10]
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