'Holocaust' student drops PhD study

By WINSTON ALDWORTH

Hans-Joachim Kupka has withdrawn from his PhD study at Waikato University, but the Jewish community will not let the matter rest.

The 55-year-old German student accused of denying the Holocaust sent a letter to the university on Tuesday withdrawing his PhD candidature with immediate effect.

Deputy vice-chancellor Jeremy Callaghan said the university had behaved responsibly throughout the saga, which has seen students protesting and Jewish academic staff staging silent vigils.

"He was a candidate for a degree just as anyone else is," Prof Callaghan said. "The university has no further link with Mr Kupka."

English lecturer Sarah Shieff warned that the Jewish academics and students upset with the university's handling of the case would not let the matter rest easily.

"Now that Kupka has made an honourable decision the university can look at the case independently without prejudice," she said.

"It's a qualified victory because with Kupka withdrawing the onus hasn't gone off the university to look at how this could happen. We're not going to let it rest there."

New Zealand's Holocaust denial problem