UGent researcher on Cambridge professor's death: 'It was about diversity policy, Arday played a supporting role'

Nathan Cofnas, a researcher at Ghent University (UGent), has broken his silence following the death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday. Cofnas, who describes himself as a "race realist" and is known for his opposition to equal opportunities policies, stated that his accusations of plagiarism against Arday were primarily focused on Cambridge's diversity policies, with Arday playing a secondary role.

Cofnas had publicly accused Arday, who was appointed Cambridge University's youngest Black professor in March 2023, of plagiarizing significant portions of his doctoral research. Arday's personal story, which included overcoming diagnoses of autism, mutism, global developmental disorder, deafness, dyscalculia, epilepsy, testicular cancer, and a brain tumor, along with claims of running 30 marathons in 35 days with a fracture, had garnered widespread attention and praise. Cofnas, however, questioned the veracity of these claims, suggesting Arday was both a fraud and a symptom of a "woke iceberg" within Western institutions, where promotions are allegedly based on representation rather than merit.

The controversy surrounding Arday's academic integrity and personal narrative had been simmering in academic circles for some time. Several professors had reportedly attempted to raise concerns with the university. Cofnas's allegations, published on the online platform Substack under the title 'DEI Fraud and Cover-Up at Cambridge,' brought the issue to a wider public, intensifying the scrutiny on Arday and the university's diversity initiatives.

Cofnas himself has a controversial background. He was dismissed from Cambridge's Emmanuel College in 2024 amid accusations of racism and is now employed at UGent, where his appointment also sparked protests. Following Jason Arday's death, UGent placed Cofnas on preventive suspension and initiated a disciplinary preliminary investigation.