Ways to fund grad school.

My spies, who are everywhere, have informed me of the following:

The ongoing search for Sussex postgraduate student Erich Kofmel, who is suspected of internet-based fraudulent activities, has now moved to his native Switzerland.

Kofmel is believed to be hiding in social housing in the capital city Bern and an investigation is being conducted by Sussex police in cooperation with their Swiss and German counterparts. He is suspected of taking customer deposits for fake holidays and placing them in fraudulent bank accounts, before cancelling the vacations and keeping the money.

This latest development comes soon after the publication of the book “Anti-Democratic Thought” which grew out of a workshop organised by the Sussex Centre for the Individual and Society (SCIS) and is edited by Kofmel. Tuula Vaarakaillo, one of the book’s contributors, expressed frustration at not being informed of the ongoing controversy: “I have not been aware of E. Kofmel’s illegal activities prior to publication. If only I knew about these issues I would have withdrawn my contribution to the volume.

Kofmel’s presence at the conference where the workshop was held, as well as other international academic events, is alleged to have been funded by his illegal activities. The University of Sussex has reaffirmed the fact that “the SCIS is not associated with the University in any way.”

It appears he skipped bail on September 9. Anti-Democratic Thought came out in September. And it looks like another book he edited is due to come out this year! One wonders if he kept in touch with the publishers during that period. If so, that would rather show dedication, to work on getting a book out whilst on the lam…

Ah well. There’s one political theorist who won’t be competing with me on the job market… [/cynicism]

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3 Responses to “Ways to fund grad school.”

  1. Victims of Erich Kofmel Says:
    January 26th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    Hi Paul,

    Erich Kofmel skipped bail in September and his first book came out 1st December.

    Sadly the publisher knew about the issues some 6 months before publication. Though Mr. Kofmel continues to use the false Sussex University address [See the THES article on the website above], he has been allowed to continue editing his books whilst on the run from the police (all over Europe). And all funded by selling holidays that never existed, mostly to retired folk who are too trusting.

    Wierd.

  2. Paul Gowder Says:
    January 26th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    How do you maintain the kind of communication necessary to work with a publisher to edit a book whilst on the run from the cops? Is Interpol that incompetent?

  3. Uncommon Priors » Updates on a very strange story. (Political theorist still on the lam? Or just a victim of cyberstalking? WTF?) Says:
    February 27th, 2009 at 9:48 am

    [...] month ago, I blogged the very strange story of Eric Kofmel, a grad student political theorist who, according to news reports, published an edited volume while [...]

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