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. 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.