Ghent University in Belgium has suspended Nathan Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher who publicly accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism, as the university investigates allegations that he discriminated against the academic.
Cofnas said he was under investigation by the university “for discriminating against Arday”. Ghent University confirmed that a staff member had been notified of a preliminary disciplinary investigation and had been suspended as a precaution.
The university’s rector, Petra De Sutter, and vice-rector, Herwig Reynaert, said they were taking recent public statements by a postdoctoral researcher concerning Arday seriously.
The university said it stands for “respect for human dignity” and opposes discrimination, hatred and racism, while stressing that it also supports academic freedom and open academic debate.
“Academic freedom and open academic debate, even when views are controversial,” the university said, adding that such freedom “is not unlimited” and comes with a responsibility to protect the rights of others.
Cofnas, who describes himself as a “race realist”, had publicly questioned the work and achievements of the 41-year-old professor, including alleging that parts of his academic publications had been plagiarised.
Cofnas said he had subjected Arday’s work to plagiarism-detection software, which he claimed identified passages that had been copied with minimal editing. He also referred to concerns previously raised by a retired professor about some of Arday’s subsequent academic articles, after which two journals published correction notices.
Arday became Cambridge University’s youngest Black professor in 2023 when he was appointed professor of the sociology of education. He resigned from the position in light of the Plagiarism controversies shortly before his death and was found dead in Battersea, south London, on 14 August.
Cofnas’ Long Running Race Controversy
Cofnas is a postdoctoral researcher in Ghent University’s Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences. His appointment at a Cambridge college was terminated in 2024 following backlash over views he had expressed about race and meritocracy.
Ghent University said Arday’s death should prompt reflection on how academics and members of the public treat one another, particularly when individuals become the subject of intense public controversy.
The university said its decision to suspend Cofnas is precautionary and does not amount to a finding that he committed discrimination. The disciplinary investigation is ongoing.
