Tora Aasland (born 6 November 1942, in Skien) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party. She served as the Minister of Research and Higher Education from 18 October 2007 to 23 March 2012. She was a member of the Norwegian Parliament, representing Akershus, from 1985 to 1993. From 1991 to 2013, she served as the County Governor of Rogaland.

Tora Aasland
Aasland in 2006
Minister of Research and Higher Education
In office 18 October 2007 – 23 March 2012
Prime Minister	Jens Stoltenberg
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Iselin Nybø (2018)
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
In office 1 October 1985 – 30 September 1993
Constituency	Akershus
Governor of Rogaland
In office 23 March 2012 – 1 October 2013
Preceded by	Harald Torfinn Thune (acting)
Succeeded by	Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa
In office 1 October 1993 – 18 October 2007
Preceded by	Harald Torfinn Thune (acting)
Succeeded by	Harald Thorfinn Thune (acting)
Vice President of the Odelsting
In office 10 October 1989 – 30 September 1993
President	Inger Lise Gjørv
Preceded by	Kåre Kristiansen
Succeeded by	Dag Jostein Fjærvoll
Personal details
Born	(1942-11-06) 6 November 1942 (age 81) Skien, Telemark, Norway
Political party	Socialist Left

Aasland was a deputy member of the executive committee of Nesodden municipality council during the terms 1975–1979 and 1979–1983.

Aasland has a cand.sociol. degree in sociology and was a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Social Research from 1976 to 1982, and its acting director from 1980 to 1981. She has cited Vilhelm Aubert as her largest influence.^[1]