Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Cancels Events Following Plagiarism Allegations

Jason Arday, the former youngest black professor at the University of Cambridge, has cancelled several upcoming public appearances and resigned from his academic post following allegations of plagiarism and questions regarding his personal achievements. The University of Cambridge confirmed that Arday resigned with immediate effect and that the institution is continuing an investigation into his academic qualifications, honorary appointments, and research misconduct policy. The findings of this probe will inform a review of the process for appointing senior academic roles.

Arday has cancelled a fireside chat at the Royal Geographical Society conference on September 2 and an appearance at Topping and Company book shop in Edinburgh on September 18. He is also no longer listed for an event with the Arizona Women's Board Authors' Luncheon on October 24. Despite these cancellations, his memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, is scheduled for release in the US on Tuesday and in the UK on August 27.

Beyond his university role, Arday has resigned as a publication director and trustee of the British Sociological Association. He has previously held roles with the NHS Race and Health Observatory, the Royal Society of Arts, ITV's Cultural Advisory Council, and the Welsh Government's anti-racism external accountability group. The Runnymede Trust, where he served as a trustee until 2024, defended him by condemning racialized media scrutiny.

The controversy centers on allegations that Arday plagiarized his PhD thesis from Liverpool John Moores University and other research. Press reports have also questioned the veracity of claims in his life story, specifically that he raised 5.5 million pounds for charity and ran 600 miles in six days. Arday has admitted to errors in his early work but denies being a liar. In his resignation, he stated that the personal cost of the public scrutiny and relentless accusations had become too great to endure.