Professor Jason Arday has resigned from the University of Cambridge with immediate effect amid an investigation into his academic qualifications, honorary appointments and allegations of academic misconduct.
The university announced on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into Arday after receiving “new information” concerning his academic qualifications and honorary appointments.
Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, has acknowledged errors in some of his academic work but rejected claims that he deliberately misrepresented his career.
In a statement posted by the Good Law Project, Arday said he had decided to resign after facing what he described as an “unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack.”
He said his appointment as a professor had been “without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life”, but added: “There comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great.”
Arday said his resignation should not be interpreted as a rejection of scholarship or the values that brought him to Cambridge, nor as an acceptance of the allegations surrounding him.
“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,” he said.
He added that his resignation was “not the end of my work”, saying he needed “time to heal” before returning to academia.
The controversy intensified following media reports questioning aspects of Arday’s academic record and allegations that sections of his PhD thesis contained material copied from other sources.
The plagiarism allegations were initially raised publicly by Nathan Cofnas, a US researcher who claimed in a Substack post that plagiarism-detection software had identified passages in Arday’s work that closely resembled existing material.
Cofnas alleged that some passages had been reproduced with minimal editing, including retaining errors from the original sources.
Cambridge had previously described the allegations against Arday as part of a “vile campaign to undermine his credibility.”
Arday told The Times that he accepted responsibility for mistakes in his academic work but rejected accusations that he was deliberately dishonest. “What I am not is a liar.”
He also alleged that there had been a “very well orchestrated and co-ordinated campaign” to remove him from his position at Cambridge, suggesting that some of the criticism was racially motivated and linked to wider opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Arday attributed some errors in his early academic work to his autism, saying he had relied on mimicry as a way of processing information.
The controversy has also extended beyond Arday’s academic work to claims about his charitable endurance challenges.
Cofnas questioned claims attributed to Arday about completing multiple marathon and long-distance running challenges and raising more than £5 million for charity.
Arday later told The Guardian that the £5 million figure had been raised with the help of others over a 20-year period, but said he could not identify those individuals because of non-disclosure agreements.
He also clarified that a reported 600-mile treadmill challenge had been completed over 12 days rather than six, allowing for rest days because of the physical demands of previous challenges.
Arday has maintained that he stands by other running records attributed to him.
“I can’t make people believe me,” he told The Times. “Nobody lives their life having a receipt for every single thing they say or they’ve done.”
Cambridge said its latest inquiry was separate from several existing complaints concerning alleged academic misconduct, which are being handled under the university’s research misconduct procedures.
The university said it was committed to conducting a thorough process in accordance with its policies and employment law, while also recognising the personal impact of the controversy on Arday.
Jesus College, where Arday is a fellow, has also launched its own process in parallel with the university’s investigation.
Meanwhile, publisher Simon & Schuster, which is due to publish Arday’s memoir later this month, defended its relationship with him.
The publisher said it was “proud to publish Professor Jason Arday” and praised the professionalism and integrity he had demonstrated throughout the publication process.
Separately, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it had investigated a journalist following a complaint of harassment after the journalist emailed questions to Arday.
Police later concluded that no offence had been committed and acknowledged that instructing the journalist not to make further contact with Arday had been inappropriate and could have interfered with legitimate journalism.
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, who described himself as an associate of Arday, said the controversy was “regrettable,” including the intense scrutiny of Arday’s career and the possibility that some claims about his CV may have been inaccurate.
He said Arday’s request for space should be respected as he steps away from Cambridge.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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