Professor at centre of plagiarism row quits after investigation launched
Resignation follows allegations of plagiarism and falsified achievements
A University of Cambridge professor at the centre of a high-profile plagiarism row has resigned after being placed under investigation.
Professor Jason Arday, a professor of sociology of education who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, resigned from his post on Wednesday evening after the university launched an inquiry into his “academic qualifications and honorary appointments”.
It followed a series of media reports, including a story in the Daily Telegraph, alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis and other research.
Further questions were asked in the press about the truth of other claims made by Prof Arday, including saying that he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.
In a letter addressed to colleagues published on the Good Law Project’s website, Professor Arday said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement. The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”
Professor Arday said that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”, adding: “This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge.
“Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me. It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.”
His resignation comes shortly after the University of Cambridge announced it had launched an investigation “following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments”.
A statement said: “Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy.”
Jesus College said in a statement that it was launching its own process in relation to the allegation.
Prof Arday’s memoir, Great And Unfortunate Things, is due to be published by Simon & Schuster later this month.
In a promotional video for the book posted on YouTube, Prof Arday said he was diagnosed with autism as a three-year-old, learned to speak at the age of 11 and to read and write when he was 18 before going on to gain a PhD just 12 years later.
An online open letter organised by the Good Law Project in solidarity with Prof Arday has been signed by nearly 16,000 people, including multiple MPs, Lords and academics, as well as Green Party leader Zack Polanski.