The University of Oxford’s Oriel College has been urged to cancel an event featuring Jason Arday’s accuser Nathan Cofnas that has been organised by student supporters of Reform UK.

Arday, 41, was found dead in August after resigning from his University of Cambridge professorship. He had faced intense media scrutiny after Cofnas made unproven accusations of plagiarism against him and said there were “serious questions” about his biographical claims.

Cofnas, a blogger and academic who has been accused of promoting pseudoscientific ideas of racial difference in his online writings, is expected to appear at an event called “An evening with Nathan Cofnas: Is DEI undermining higher education?” at Oriel’s Harris lecture theatre on 17 November.

The event has been organised by Oxon Universities’ Reform Society (OURS), a student group set up this year to support Reform UK.

Oxford campaign groups, British academics, members of the public and Oxford alumni have signed an open letter urging Oriel to “withdraw its…