Hundreds of students and staff at a university in Belgium have criticised its decision to appoint Dr Nathan Cofnas, who was sacked from Emmanuel College in 2024 over his self-described “race-realist” views, to a visiting position at the university.

The Brussels Times reported on 5 March that Ghent University, in Flanders, had appointed Cofnas as a postdoctoral researcher within the Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences. He will be working on a project focusing on how liberal societies should approach the phenomenon of a growing number of non-liberal citizens.

Since news of the appointment broke, there has been significant backlash within the department itself, as well as the wider student body.

An open letter published in the Flemish daily newspaper De Standaard, signed by 45 members of the department, called for Cofnas’ resignation.

The letter states: “What Cofnas and his supporters call ‘racial realism’ is the idea that we must face the supposed reality that white people are simply superior to black people […] But that is not reality. It is racism.” Speaking to Varsity, Cofnas described this claim as “a false and defamatory description of my views”.

Ghent University has defended the decision to uphold Cofnas’ appointment, stating that his comments, though offensive to many, do not violate the University’s ethical code.

An email, signed by over 300 students and staff, was sent to the rector of Ghent University, Petra De Sutter, and calls on the University to rescind Cofnas’ appointment.

Dr Pieter Beck, a member of the Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, told Varsity that the signatories remain dissatisfied with the administration’s response. He explained that the rector, responding to news articles detailing the appointment,  claimed “that Cofnas’s statements did not violate the University’s ethical code”.

This, he said, prompted a second email, the contents of which have been seen by Varsity. The email claims that the department first learned that Cofnas had been hired through an article published by the investigative outlet Apache. It states: “We want to again express our surprise and indignation at this fact. Based on the content of the article it seems to us demonstrably clear that Nathan Cofnas is in violation of the deontological codes of our University.”

“We urgently ask how it is possible that Cofnas’ statements on the intellectual superiority of the white race (as expressed for example in his blog post ‘A Guide for the Hereditarian Revolution’) are not in violation with the following paragraph from the deontological code of the UGent,” the email continues.

The subsequent paragraphs quote several passages from the University’s code of conduct, alongside remarks made by Cofnas – including academic works, blog articles, and posts on X – which the signatories argue violate these points of the code.

Beck told Varsity that the signatories have not yet received any internal communications from the rectorate, and that their claims have only received responses via quotes given to media outlets.

He continued: “Our demands are still standing: we are still waiting for concrete replies, a concrete response to the specific statements made by Cofnas, listed in the document [attached to the email], explaining why these are not considered a violation of the code of conduct by the rectorate.”

A spokesperson for Ghent University denied allegations that the signatories had received no direct response from the rector, stating that De Sutter has arranged to meet with members of the department in order to discuss the issue further.

De Sutter said: “I have read the open letter carefully. I understand and take seriously the indignation and concern expressed in it. For many people, the statements referred to are hurtful and troubling. They affect me as well.

“As rector, I want to make it clear that we are not ignoring these signals. We will therefore continue to monitor the recruitment within the applicable legal and institutional framework.

“At the same time, I would like to briefly outline the context in which such recruitment procedures take place at a university. The appointment of the supervisor in 2022 was a decision of the Executive Board, following a positive recommendation by the Faculty Council.

“The recruitment of Mr Cofnas, however, is a decision of the supervisor, subject to verification by HR as to whether the recruitment complied with the applicable regulations. This was examined and confirmed. The final selection of the candidate therefore lies with the supervisor within the faculty, based on criteria such as the publication record and expertise.

The rector continued: “At the same time, as rector I also want to be clear: the researcher’s statements are also a cause for concern to me. This case rightly evokes strong emotions among many people; many feel hurt or unsettled, and those feelings deserve recognition and respect.

“As a university, we have the responsibility to create space for debate, but also to foster an environment in which people feel heard and respected. I therefore want to continue engaging in dialogue on this matter with all those involved and to ensure that the concerns being expressed today are taken seriously within our academic community.”

A change.org petition started by students at Ghent University is also calling for the appointment to be reconsidered. It has garnered over 1,700 signatures since it was launched in early March.

The petition states: “When individuals who promote racial hierarchies framed as scientific claims, or who suggest the legitimacy of eugenic thinking, are given academic platforms, it raises serious concerns about the standards of scholarship being represented.”

It continues: “Just as the students at [t]he University of Cambridge, we as the students of Ghent University will not in any way tolerate blatant racism in the academic institute we are enrolled in.”

Meanwhile, a statement opposing calls for Cofnas’ appointment to be terminated has attracted nearly 200 signatures, including from high-profile academic figures such as the philosopher Peter Singer and the Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, as well as several Cambridge fellows.

In reference to calls from members of Ghent University to rescind Cofnas’ appointment, the statement says: “We oppose this attack on academic freedom. While we are not endorsing any specific claims Cofnas has made, we believe that academics must be able to put forward controversial or provocative claims without fear of losing their employment.”

It continues: “The statements mentioned above do not even attempt to engage with Cofnas’s empirical claims. Disagreements, whether about empirical claims, ethical principles, or the interpretation of the ethical code of a university, should be settled through free inquiry and open, civil discussion.”

Cofnas was dismissed from his research position at Emmanuel College in 2024 following a blog post in which he argued that, under a meritocracy, black people would “disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment,” and the number of black professors at Harvard would “approach zero”.

His comments prompted backlash from the student body, with 58 formal complaints being lodged against him. Cambridge’s disciplinary body later dismissed these complaints, concluding after an investigation that Cofnas had not broken University rules. He has since launched legal action against Emma, claiming that the College discriminated against him on the basis of protected philosophical beliefs.