Groningen Univ. suspends critical thinking lectures over conspiracy theories

The University of Groningen (RUG) suspended an associate professor's lectures on critical thinking while he was being investigated for trying to convince students of conspiracy theories. The lecturer is not suspended and is still teaching other classes, a spokesperson for RUG said to NU.nl.

"We are investigating what exactly happened," the spokesperson said. The results of an initial investigation prompted the university to suspend the lectures for the time being. A broader investigation must now show whether there is a reason for concern in the other subjects the associate professor is teaching. "It concerns a didactic investigation to see whether it is in line with how scientific education should be done."

The RUG launched the investigation after the university newspaper UKrant wrote about students feeling unsafe in the lectures because they thought differently from the lecturer and disagreed with his "alternative truth." According to the newspaper, the lecturer had anti-Semitic ideas about the "dominance of Jews," spread conspiracy theories about the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, and said that "the most powerful people on earth are hiding and running the world."