Several paragraphs in Ingvild Kjerkol’s (Labor Party) master’s thesis are identical to other academic texts that are not mentioned in the citation, VG reports.
Kjerkol wrote the essay together with a fellow student in 2021 – the same year she became Minister of Health.
She denies having copied the text, and writes in an email to VG that the topic of her master’s thesis, as well as the discussion and conclusions, is about something other than the master’s thesis in which the newspaper found similarities.
“However, there may be wording in the thesis that should have had clearer references,” writes Kjerkol.
According to VG, there are similar paragraphs in three other master’s theses, as well as a specialist book. Several politicians from the opposition are now requesting a position from Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor Party).
On Friday evening, Sandra Borch (Centre Party) left her post as minister for research and higher education, after being caught copying parts of her master’s thesis about ten years ago.
– She has made mistakes that are incompatible with being minister for research and higher education, Støre said about the incident at a press conference on Saturday.
The prime minister then also called on other ministers in his government to review their degree and master’s theses.