A professor at England’s renowned Cambridge University has resigned amid a plagiarism dispute. His resignation takes immediate effect.
The professor, Jason Arday, said the only way to close this chapter was to step down from his post.
Earlier, Cambridge University authorities said they had launched an inquiry “after receiving new information” about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointment. The situation arose mainly after a claim by another academic, Nathan Cofnas, who was dismissed from his Cambridge post in 2024.
Cofnas, who identifies himself as a “race realist,” claimed he had found numerous instances of plagiarism in Arday’s work and also questioned the authenticity of some of Arday’s achievements.
The accused academic, Jason Arday, has admitted errors in his research work, but strongly insists he is in no way a “liar.”
In a statement released on Wednesday by Britain’s public-interest legal group the Good Law Project, Professor Arday said his appointment as a Cambridge professor had undoubtedly been the greatest professional honour of his life. But since the appointment, he had faced constant harsh public criticism and personal attacks, which at one point pushed the personal harm and mental strain beyond his limits.
The professor said his resignation should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in research or in the values that first brought him to Cambridge.
“Nor should my resignation be seen as accepting the narratives that have been built up around me,” Jason Arday said.
Thanking his students and colleagues, Arday said: “Thinking of my own wellbeing, my family and those who stood by me in this difficult time, I have reached the decision that the only way to end this chapter is to step aside.”
“This is not the end of my work,” Arday said, adding that he now needed “some time to recover.” He said: “When that time comes, I will return.”
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