'Time to step away': Cambridge's youngest Black professor resigns amid plagiarism row - What we know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Time to step away': Cambridge's youngest Black professor resigns amid plagiarism row - What we know")
File photo of Prof Jason Arday. Photograph: (X/@F_Desouche)
Beyond the academic plagiarism claims, questions also emerged over charity fundraising claims in his biography; archival records reportedly showed a 2010 JustGiving page raised only £6,285, not the £5 million his biography claimed.
The University of Cambridge professor has resigned with immediate effect amid a plagiarism row. The sociology of education professor, identified as Prof Jason Arday, said that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to "step away". Earlier, the university confirmed that it had launched a probe "following new information" about the academic qualifications and honorary appointments of the professor.
The development unfolded after a row against Prof Jason Arday erupted in September 2025, when Times Higher Education alleged Arday of plagiarising parts of his PhD thesis and several journal articles. The investigation also disclosed that he also palagrised text appearing in quotes, claiming that he had personally interviewed.
That story reportedly got shelved for roughly ten months after a Carter-Ruck letter (a UK law firm known for libel/reputation work) silenced the 63-page THE investigation. Beyond the academic plagiarism claims, questions also emerged over charity fundraising claims in his biography; archival records reportedly showed a 2010 JustGiving page raised only £6,285, not the £5 million his biography claimed. Reports describe an 188-sentence plagiarism finding against him. The current Cambridge row centres on Jason Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest Black professor when appointed in 2023 as Professor of Sociology of Education.
This follows claims from another academic, Nathan Cofnas, who describes himself as a race realist and was dismissed from his Cambridge position in 2024, who said he'd uncovered multiple plagiarism instances in Arday's work and raised doubts about certain achievements Arday had claimed. Arday has acknowledged mistakes in his work but maintains he is not "a liar."
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Stepped down from both universities
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Cambridge subsequently opened a formal investigation into Arday, scrutinising his academic credentials and honorary titles. He stepped down immediately from both the university and Jesus College, pointing to relentless public scrutiny and personal attacks he'd faced since starting the role, along with a desire to escape the constant public spotlight.
In a Wednesday statement shared via the Good Law Project, Arday described his professorship as "without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life." "The years since my appointment have also been marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack," he said, and added, "there comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great".
He also said that his resignation shouldn't be seen as a loss of belief in scholarship or in the principles that originally drew him to Cambridge. "Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me." Thanking students and colleagues, the professor said, "for my own wellbeing, for my family, and for those who have stood by me throughout this difficult period, I have concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away".
Arday further said that it is not the end of his work and required more "time to heal". "When that time comes, I will return," he added. On Wednesday, the university confirmed that its inquiry related to the row had started after the new information about Arday's "academic qualifications and honorary appointments". "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 of Cambridge said in a statement.
It added: "While we are fully aware of the public commentary and concerns around this matter, it remains vital that any process is thorough and adheres to both university policies and employment law." "We also fully recognise that there is a person at the centre of this situation, and we continue to provide support to him," it further said.
