Cambridge professor at center of plagiarism furore quits

LONDON: A University of Cambridge professor engulfed in a high-profile plagiarism storm resigned from his posts Wednesday, shortly after the prestigious British institution announced a probe into the various accusations against him.

Jason Arday -- who made headlines when the university appointed him as its youngest black professor in 2023 -- has faced snowballing claims he plagiarized parts of his PhD thesis.

Questions also emerged about some of his stated achievements, with Arday and his defenders claiming racism has motivated parts of the scrutiny.

In a letter posted online, he said that quitting was "the only way" to end a "difficult period", but insisted the decision should not 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," he wrote.

Arday said he was resigning from his positions as a Cambridge sociology of education professor, and a fellow at the university's Jesus College, with "immediate effect".

It came just hours after Cambridge announced it had "begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday's academic qualifications and honorary appointments".

"Separately, there remains (sic) a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy," it added.

The university had robustly defended Arday in June, claiming "a vile campaign to undermine his credibility" and insisting plagiarism claims regarding his "thesis and journal publications" had been probed and dismissed by "the relevant institution" and journals.

It did not specify Wednesday what new information had prompted its investigation, while Jesus College said separately that it was starting its own probe.

Open letter

Nathan Cofnas, a US academic and self-defined "race realist" whose Cambridge research affiliation ended in 2024 amid racism accusations, has claimed multiple sections of Arday's doctoral dissertation were copied from other works.

Some of Arday's claims about his personal life, including that he once ran 30 marathons in 35 days and raised millions for charities, have also been disputed.

In an interview with The Times last Saturday, Arday admitted making academic "mistakes" but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud".

He also alleged the "campaign to unseat me from my position" was "racially motivated".

The scandal has been seized upon by right-wing newspapers and commentators, who have labelled Arday as a "poster boy" for diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies.

An open letter supporting him and alleging "an attempt to undermine black people who hold positions of influence" has gathered more than 15,000 signatures, including prominent black academics and Cambridge leaders.

Earlier Wednesday, Simon & Schuster -- whose UK publishing arm is set to release his memoir "Great and Unfortunate Things" this month -- said it was "proud to publish" his backstory.

Diagnosed with autism, Arday says he was non-verbal until aged 11 and only learned to read and write at 18, before becoming a Cambridge professor aged 37.

The publisher noted "no allegations of plagiarism have been made with respect to" the memoir.

In his statement, Arday insisted "this is not the end of my work" and that he needed "time to heal... and be myself again."

"I will return," he vowed.