Cambridge's youngest black professor Jason Arday resigns amid plagiarism row

Published Aug 7, 10:54 AM UTC

Jason Arday, who became Cambridge University's youngest black professor in 2023 at age 37, has resigned amid a bitter plagiarism controversy. Raised on a council estate and diagnosed with autism at three, Arday could not speak until 11 and did not read or write until 18, yet earned a PhD and built a remarkable academic career. Critics allege his PhD thesis contains passages strikingly similar to other papers, while defenders cite innocent errors due to lack of supervision and insufficient support for his learning disabilities. The controversy escalated after a blogpost by Nathan Cofnas, a sacked 'race realist' academic. Doubts have also emerged about Arday's claim to have raised £5.5 million for charity. The row has divided academics, with some viewing the scrutiny as punitive and others as fair for a Cambridge professor. The university faces questions about its judgment in appointing Arday amid its own diversity drive.