Cambridge professor Jason Arday resigns amid plagiarism row

A scandal too big to stay

Prof Jason Arday said he had "concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away", days after the University of Cambridge launched an investigation into his "academic qualifications and honorary appointments".

The inquiry began "following new information", the university said, adding that a number of complaints about academic misconduct were being handled under its research-misconduct policy.

The row was sparked when academic Nathan Cofnas, sacked from his Cambridge role in 2024, said he had found numerous instances of plagiarism in Arday's work. Arday has admitted errors but insisted he is not "a liar", as the BBC reported and was also covered by the Independent.

"What the Cambridge professor said

The years since my appointment have also been marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack. There comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great."

Prof Jason Arday

In a statement posted by the Good Law Project, Arday said his exit should not be read as "a loss of faith in scholarship" nor "an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me", and thanked his students.

He added that "this is not the end of my work" and that he needed "time to heal" before returning. The episode adds to a bruising period for one of the world's most prestigious universities, which said any process must be thorough and follow employment law.