Jason Arday, The Youngest Black Professor At Cambridge, Has Resigned After New Investigation

Jason Arday, who at 37 became the youngest Black professor ever appointed at the University of Cambridge in 2023, a milestone that drew international attention given his personal story of being diagnosed with autism as a child and not speaking until age 11, resigned with immediate effect from Cambridge and his fellowship at Jesus College on Wednesday August 5, hours after the university announced it was opening a new investigation following "new information" about his academic qualifications and career history.

In a statement published by the Good Law Project, Arday said the "relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love" and that he was stepping away "to reclaim some peace, some privacy and some semblance of an ordinary life."

He said his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing. "It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure."

The allegations that prompted the investigation include claims, first raised publicly by former Cambridge philosophy researcher Nathan Cofnas, that Arday plagiarised portions of his 2015 PhD thesis.

The Times of London published an analysis on July 24 identifying passages it said were "identical or near-identical" to earlier work by another researcher.

Questions have also been raised about claimed athletic and charitable fundraising achievements. Jesus College separately announced its own inquiry. Cambridge said ongoing academic misconduct complaints continue under its research misconduct policy.

Arday denied the plagiarism allegations in a Times interview, acknowledging academic "mistakes" while saying he was being subjected to a campaign.

Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded his doctorate, previously investigated plagiarism claims. Cambridge did not specify what new information prompted Wednesday's announcement.

His memoir Great and Unfortunate Things, published by Simon & Schuster's 37 Ink imprint, is due for US release shortly.