Nathan Cofnas on Jason Arday controversy: “This was about DEI”

Nathan Cofnas (left), Jason Arday (right) Nathan Cofnas, the American researcher who first publicly detailed extensive plagiarism allegations against Cambridge University’s youngest Black professor, Jason Arday, has said he bore no personal animosity towards the late academic. In his first detailed comments to VRT NWS after Arday’s death, Cofnas stated that he “had zero interest” in Arday as an individual and “no ill will towards him”. He insisted the controversy was fundamentally about diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies at Cambridge and similar institutions. “I set in motion a series of events that led to a tragic outcome, but this was about diversity policy and Cambridge. Arday played only a supporting role in it,” Cofnas said. He added that he had wanted Arday to remain a professor and “live his best life”.Nathan Cofnas challenges the story behind Jason Arday’s rise at CambridgeIn March 2023, Jason Arday was appointed professor of sociology of education at the University of Cambridge, becoming the institution’s youngest Black professor, and his appointment attracted widespread positive coverage. Central to that coverage was Arday’s account of overcoming extraordina...