Ghent University Suspends Academic Following Plagiarism Allegations

Ghent University in Belgium has suspended academic Nathan Cofnas pending an investigation. The decision follows his public statements regarding accusations of plagiarism against former Cambridge professor Jason Arday.

Nathan Cofnas, previously affiliated with Cambridge, is now a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University. He is known for controversial work suggesting genetic differences in intelligence between Black and white people. Last month, he accused Dr. Arday, who was Black, of plagiarism in a newsletter concerning his doctoral dissertation. This accusation sparked intense public attention in British media and led to additional claims about t Dr. Arday’s personal history.

Dr. Arday resigned from his Cambridge position at the beginning of the month and was found dead last week. In his resignation letter dated August 5, he expressed the difficulty of living under constant public scrutiny.

Ghent University’s statement emphasized the importance of academic freedom and open debate but noted that freedom has limits, especially when protecting others’ rights. Dr. Cofnas, who is American, confirmed via email that he was suspended and suggested political retaliation was the reason. Ghent University has not yet commented on this claim.

Liverpool John Moores University, where Dr. Arday received his doctorate, investigated the allegations and decided not to revoke his degree.

An examination by The New York Times revealed that Cambridge overlooked warnings about Dr. Arday’s work and personal history. Following his death, Dr. Arday’s family issued a statement saying, “The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason.”

Mara Hvistendahl contributed to this report. Leo Sands, a correspondent for the Breaking News Hub of The New York Times, provided coverage from London.