Rector Petra De Sutter rejects the criticism that Ghent University is infringing upon academic freedom with the disciplinary procedure against Nathan Cofnas.
"I support academic freedom 100%," she said on Wednesday in an interview with Belga News Agency. For De Sutter, those who claim that Ghent University (UGent) is restricting academic freedom through the disciplinary process against Cofnas are not familiar with the specific case file.
Ghent University suspended Cofnas preventively on 20 August, pending a preliminary disciplinary investigation. The American, who calls himself a 'race realist', came under scrutiny after accusing Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism. Arday resigned in early August and was later found dead in his London home.
The criticism is reflected in an open letter signed by more than 800 academics. The letter states that the disciplinary procedure against Cofnas appears to be, at least in part, retaliation because he made academic misconduct at British universities public.
The letter calls on UGent to protect Cofnas from punishment for exercising his academic freedom. De Sutter explicitly rejects this interpretation. "Claiming that we ourselves are restricting academic freedom is entirely incorrect."
De Sutter also opposes the criticism directed at UGent, saying this is often voiced by people unfamiliar with the contents of the disciplinary case file. "I only see that the arguments raised in the public debate do not concern the substance of the matter," she said.
Since the disciplinary process was initiated and the subsequent criticism, the university has disclosed few details of the preliminary investigation publicly. De Sutter emphasised that, as an employer, UGent must respect legal regulations, internal procedures, and the confidentiality of personnel files.
Meanwhile, an open letter supporting the suspension of researcher Nathan Cofnas at Ghent University has gathered over 1,700 signatures in less than twenty hours. Nearly half come from Belgian universities.
The open letter is a personal initiative by a group of Ghent University staff members and not an official position of the university.
The signatories support the decision to open a disciplinary investigation and oppose the perception that Cofnas is being punished for allegedly being a whistleblower. They refer to statements about race on his blog, which they believe violate the university's code of ethics.
