A Cambridge University professor facing allegations of plagiarism and questions about his academic record resigned Wednesday, just as the prestigious UK institution confirmed it had opened an investigation into the claims.
Jason Arday, 41, widely recognized as the youngest Black man to be appointed to a professorship at Cambridge, said his abrupt departure should not “be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me,” pushing back forcefully against the accusations.
“While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement,” Arday wrote in a post published by the Good Law Project. “The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”
Arday said his resignation as professor of sociology takes effect immediately. He has been accused of copying more than 100 passages in his doctoral dissertation and of misrepresenting elements of his résumé.
“[We have] begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments,” Cambridge University said in a statement Wednesday.
“Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our Misconduct in Research policy,” the university added.
Cambridge had previously defended Arday, saying he had been subjected to a “vile campaign to undermine his credibility.”
The scrutiny intensified last month after Nathan Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University in Belgium, published a Substack post outlining multiple examples where Arday’s doctoral dissertation allegedly appeared to contain plagiarized material.
An analysis showed more than 100 passages in his thesis reportedly appeared to be similar to or lifted from the thesis of Brunel University student Paula Zwozdiak-Myers.
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Arday then came under fire Tuesday for falsely claiming to have held three positions at academic institutions on his official biography page for Cambridge University.
Arday wrote in the bio that he’s a visiting professor at Ohio State University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion — though the school’s DEI office closed last year and administrators reportedly said they have no record of him as an employee.
Arday also claims he works as a visiting professor in the University of Glasgow’s School of Education but the school said he hasn’t held that position since leaving for Cambridge.
“Jason Arday was employed as Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Glasgow between 2021 and 2023. He left the University to take up his role as Professorial Chair at the University of Cambridge,” a University of Glasgow spokesperson told The Post.
Arday also listed working at Durham University in the Department of Sociology as an honorary professor, though he currently holds no “formal” position there, according to the outlet.
“After leaving Durham for another university, Jason had an unpaid academic association with Durham University in relation to ongoing project work,” a university spokesperson clarified to The Post. “This type of arrangement is standard practice in academia.”
Arday said his resignation from Cambridge was “simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.”
Arday — who says he’s autistic, epileptic and a former pro soccer player — admitted last week to a series of errors in his work, but has insisted he’s not a “liar and fantasist.”
Arday has also been accused of lying about his seemingly unbelievable list of personal accomplishments.
They include “running 30 marathons in just 35 days,” raising millions of dollars for charity, and playing professional soccer and snooker.
Arday has also said he has autism spectrum disorder and was nonverbal until age 11. He became Cambridge’s youngest black professor at age 37.
