August 25, 2026
Cofnas was suspended Friday for one week while Ghent officials conduct a “preliminary investigation” into his behavior.
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Hundreds of academics have signed an open letter calling on Ghent University in Belgium to protect from punishment Nathan Cofnas, the postdoctoral researcher and self-described “race realist” who accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarizing parts of his Ph.D. thesis.
“As academics, we are concerned that Ghent University’s disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Cofnas appear to constitute retaliation, at least in part, for publicizing academic misconduct that occurred in British universities,” the scholars wrote. “An essential component of academic freedom is the ability to scrutinize the scholarship of other academics, regardless of their position or status. This must include the freedom to provide evidence of academic misconduct, such as plagiarism and fabrication. The pursuit of truth depends on rigorous self-policing by academics.”
