“Very limited expertise”: Nathan Cofnas wasn’t fit to take on Jason Arday, his peers say
Months before Jason Arday’s death, professors at Ghent University in Belgium warned that Nathan Cofnas was not intellectually capable of accusing the late Cambridge professor of plagiarism.
The warning appeared in a 19-page statement approved by Ghent University’s philosophy department in May and reported by The Guardian on Thursday. It questioned Cofnas’s qualifications, his appointment and what academics described as his «far-right agenda».
The disclosure does not settle the allegations made against Arday. He denied plagiarism but acknowledged mistakes in his doctoral work. However, it redirects scrutiny towards the credentials and institutional authority of the man whose accusations have placed Arday’s career and personal history under an unforgiving spotlight.
What happened in Ghent stayed in Ghent
In March, Cofnas accepted a postdoc at Ghent to study «the future of liberalism.» The university received 14 applications and chose him.
Two months later, the department told university leaders that it was «very improbable» that he was the best candidate. Professors said his publications record showed little expertise in the subjects central to the role: political philosophy, liberalism and demography.
«We observe only very limited expertise regarding the subjects that are central to the project: political philosophy, liberalism and demography,» the statement read. «The formulated requirement in the job posting of a ‘strong research interest in liberalism’ is not borne out by Cofnas’ publication record or the rest of his CV,» academics noted.
They added, «Cofnas himself has never conducted research on intelligence, nor is such research envisaged within the project for which he was hired.»
Academics’ concerns were largely underreported, it turns out.
Scrutiny turns towards the accuser
In his first interview after Arday’s death, Cofnas acknowledged that he had taken an action that «set off a series of events that led to a tragic outcome.» He nevertheless defended his right to publish the allegations and described Arday as incidental to his wider attack on diversity policies at Cambridge.
Cofnas said he had no personal hostility towards Arday and wanted him to «live his best life.»
Read more: «I wanted him to live his best life»: Defiant Nathan Cofnas on Jason Arday’s death
Ghent University has since suspended Cofnas as a precaution while it conducts a preliminary disciplinary investigation. The suspension does not indicate wrongdoing, and the university has not said whether it relates to the objections to his original appointment.
