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A group of scholars is urging an independent inquiry into Jason Arday’s appointment, following his resignation from various posts at the University of Cambridge amid plagiarism allegations. The professor, who specialized in education, also faced claims related to embellishing or fabricating parts of his CV. Despite these accusations, Arday has defended both himself and his work.
The focus has shifted to how Cambridge managed concerns about Arday, who rose to become its youngest-ever Black professor in 2023, as well as the timing of his forthcoming memoir. The university announced that results from an investigation into Arday’s academic credentials and appointments will contribute to a broader review concerning the procedures for appointing senior academics. Cambridge confirmed on Friday that it would continue examining the circumstances surrounding his selection and tenure. When approached by the BBC, a university spokesperson declined further comment.
Priyamvada Gopal, a professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge and one of those advocating for an independent probe, warned that the university is enduring “massive reputational damage” linked to this situation. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said, “This is reputational damage that has upset colleagues across disciplines, across the political spectrum.” Gopal emphasized the widespread concern among many at the university and stated, “I don’t think it is an option for Cambridge to just sweep this under the carpet and not take any action at all.” Earlier in the week, Cambridge revealed it had launched an investigation following the emergence of “new information” regarding Arday’s academic qualifications and appointments, while still addressing the existing plagiarism claims.
Gopal further argued that the university should not be allowed to conduct an internal investigation alone, suggesting instead a team of senior academics from both Cambridge and other institutions oversee the inquiry. The plagiarism allegations were initially raised by Nathan Cofnas, a U.S.-based researcher who faced his own controversy at Cambridge after challenging diversity policies with remarks about meritocracy. Cofnas highlighted that plagiarism detection software found substantial portions of Arday’s doctoral thesis copied verbatim or only slightly reworded from prior academic works. Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), where Arday earned his PhD, investigated these claims last year but dismissed them as likely due to “honest and reasonable error,” maintaining that the degree remains valid despite recent developments.
Additional concerns were raised about Arday’s academic output and CV claims. A retired professor previously flagged issues in Arday’s subsequent publications, which led to corrections in two academic journals. Questions were also posed about alleged achievements, such as extensive marathon running and raising significant funds for charity. Moreover, several universities listed on Arday’s CV as former employers have denied he held the positions claimed. This controversy has sparked debate within the academic community, with some arguing that Arday might have been unfairly targeted because of his race. Arday himself admitted to errors but denied plagiarism, attributing mistakes partly to autism and insufficient early supervision in his academic career. He reiterated that stepping down should not be interpreted as conceding to what he described as “racially motivated” narratives.
Gopal pointed out that universities are increasingly caught in the midst of a “lazy and false division between academic excellence and diversity and equality on campus,” a reflection of culture wars rather than genuine university issues. She and her colleagues found it “unusual” that Arday was appointed to such a senior and prestigious role so early and noted that media coverage seemed to make him “a bit of a target.” Gopal also underscored the importance of investigating whether Cambridge had any involvement in efforts to dissuade journalists from reporting the allegations. This issue arose after it emerged that the Metropolitan Police investigated Times Higher Education journalist Jack Grove for harassment following his inquiries into the plagiarism claims. The investigation was later closed, and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologized, stating the complaint should have been dismissed earlier.
Among Arday’s claims that have raised skepticism is his statement to The Guardian that he received a £1.4 million advance for his upcoming memoir, *Great and Unfortunate Things*, due for release soon. Although such an advance is not impossible, publishing insiders have expressed doubts that a figure like Arday could command a payment of that magnitude. Publisher Simon & Schuster has confirmed plans to proceed with the book’s publication despite the surrounding controversy.
Recently, The Atlantic reported discrepancies between an advance copy of Arday’s memoir and a 2024 book proposal it obtained. Differences include the timing of a suicide attempt—stated to have occurred before the Covid pandemic in the proposal but during it in the memoir—and the removal of an episode about Arday being hit by a car as a teenager, which was described in the proposal but omitted from the final book. Meanwhile, The Telegraph revealed that Arday had claimed to have published a book titled *Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse*. However, Palgrave Macmillan, which was linked to the project, said it accepted only a proposal and never published the book. The BBC has reached out to both Simon & Schuster and the Good Law Project, which has represented Arday publicly amid the plagiarism controversy, for comment
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