Ghent University has preventively suspended postdoctoral researcher Nathan Cofnas and opened a disciplinary investigation following his statements about former Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who was found dead last week after resigning on August 5 amid plagiarism allegations.
Cofnas, who described himself as a "race realist", announced his suspension on social media Thursday. University rector Petra De Sutter and vice-rector Herwig Reynaert expressed dismay at Arday's death and said the institution would take appropriate follow-up action regarding Cofnas's remarks.
Cofnas was dismissed from Cambridge's Emmanuel College in 2024 over racism accusations before his appointment at Ghent earlier this year sparked significant protest. He had published a blog post in July alleging Arday plagiarized portions of his doctoral thesis.