University under fire over hiring of ‘race realist’ philosopher

Ghent University is facing criticism over the appointment of a controversial philosopher, with more than 300 staff and students questioning whether his views on race are compatible with the institution’s ethics code.

The dispute has also raised questions about where universities should draw the line between protecting academic freedom and rejecting views seen as incompatible with their values – with another letter circulating in support of the academic.

Nathan Cofnas, a former University of Cambridge fellow who describes himself as a “race realist”, has argued that intelligence differs between racial groups and genetic factors could play a role, views that scholars say are not supported by scientific evidence.

The American academic has been appointed postdoctoral researcher in Ghent’s department of philosophy and moral sciences, where he is working on a project led by Bouke de Vries, associate professor in philosophy, that examines whether states should act to ensure “there remain enough liberal-minded people to maintain liberal institutions” because more religious groups tend to have higher birth rates.

More than 300 staff and students have written to rector Petra De Sutter and the board of governors demanding an explanation for his appointment. Among the signatories are 48 department members, which make up about 70 per cent of active staff, along with three deans and two former deans. The letter was first reported by Belgian investigative outlet Apache.

The academics say they only learned about the appointment through media reports and shared several comments made by Cofnas on his blog that they say breach the university’s code of ethics. 

In one example, in a blog post from 2014 Cofnas says: “Harvard faculty would be recruited from the best of the best students, which means the number of black professors would approach 0 per cent. Blacks would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment.” 

The signatories say such comments violate the university’s code of ethics, pointing to provisions that state that “freedom of expression is not unlimited” and “you do not spread ideas about the superiority of a race or racial hatred”. 

Times Higher Education has asked the rector for comment. De Sutter previously told local media that she was concerned about Cofnas’ statements but the university was not considering dismissing him. 

“The statements referred to are hurtful and disturbing to many people. They affect me as well,” she told Flemish newspaper De Morgen. “As a university, we have a responsibility to create space for debate, but also to ensure an environment where people feel heard and respected.”

Speaking to THE, one of the signatories said universities should also take responsibility by not supporting such research, as doing so could give the impression that it was legitimate science.

“If the rector of the university thinks Cofnas’ statements are not racist, she could at least explain why they are not racist. She does not address all the content from the blog raised in the letter and explain how those comments are not racist,” he said.

In a statement sent to THE, Cofnas said that “none of the people who signed the petition to fire me has any expertise in intelligence research”. THE could not verify this statement because the names in the letter shared by Apache have been blanked out.

A separate open letter signed by 130 academics, mostly from outside the university, has been circulated in support of Cofnas. It describes calls to rescind his appointment as an “attack on academic freedom” and commends the rector’s response. Notable signatories include the philosopher Peter Singer and cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker. 

“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 reads.

“We agree that creating space for debate is an essential element of a university, and that space for debate should not be closed unless this is a last resort to prevent a clear threat of lasting substantial harm.”

Abhishek Saha, professor of mathematics at Queen Mary University of London, who is among the signatories of the supportive letter, said those seeking Cofnas’ dismissal “misunderstands both philosophy and academic freedom” and that “academic freedom exists precisely to protect contentious, controversial and offensive work”. 

Cambridge’s Emmanuel College previously ended its association with Cofnas in 2024 following a blog post that it said was inconsistent with its principles of diversity and inclusion, according to reporting in The Times. The university later carried out an inquiry and concluded that although Cofnas’ views were seen as offensive to many, they did not breach the law or break the university’s rules on free speech.

Critics have described Cofnas’ work as a form of scientific racism, a term used to describe attempts to justify racial hierarchies using scientific claims. 

The American Association of Physical Anthropology in 2019 issued a statement rejecting “racial realism” as incompatible with the scientific evidence, while commentary published in the journal Philosophical Psychology described his work as belonging to “a group of ideas that insist on their legitimacy in spite of disproving empirical evidence”.

seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com