Ghent University has decided to take “appropriate measures” in response to the comments made by postdoctoral researcher Nathan Cofnas following the death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday.
The sociologist was found dead on Friday at an address in south London after he became embroiled in a fierce media storm after Cofnas accused him of plagiarism. He had denied the claims.
Several prominent British media, including The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph have launched independent investigations, allegedly confirming many of Cofnas' accusations and finding even more inconsistencies in Arday's life story.
Ghent University has expressed its dismay at the death of Professor Arday. “His death has also hits hard within our own academic community.” The university states that it attaches great importance to respect for human dignity and opposes discrimination, hatred and racism.
“We attach great importance to academic freedom and open academic debate, even when views are controversial. However, this freedom is not unlimited. It comes with responsibility and may be restricted to protect the rights of others,” the statement continued.
The university therefore regards Cofnas’ remarks as "extremely serious". "Ghent University has decided to take appropriate measures within its powers and the applicable framework," the statement said. As this is a staff matter, the university does not wish to pre-empt any potential decisions. The response was signed by Vice-Chancellor Petra De Sutter.
Arday, aged 41, resigned from Cambridge on 5 August following serious allegations and spike of negative publicity. He was the youngest black professor ever at the university. A few hours before his resignation, Cambridge announced that it would investigate his appointment and career. Upon his departure, Arday referred to the "relentless public attention" and asked not to interpret the move as a confirmation of guilt.
The allegations emerged in late July from the American Nathan Cofnas, who describes himself as a "race realist", referred to by critics as "scientific racism", and is known as an outspoken opponent of equal opportunities policies.
In a blog post, he claimed that Arday had committed plagiarism in his doctoral thesis. Cofnas left Emmanuel College, one of Cambridge’s colleges, in 2024 and is currently working at Ghent University, where his appointment sparked fierce protests.
