Prof under plagiarism lens quits Cambridge

London: British sociologist Jason Arday, who became the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge, has resigned as the university investigates new information about his academic qualifications.

Arday, 37 when appointed in 2023, announced his resignation on Wednesday after weeks of plagiarism allegations and questions over claims about his athletic and fundraising achievements.

The Times of London reported last month that its analysis of Arday’s 2015 PhD thesis found passages that were “identical or near-identical” to an earlier paper by another researcher.

Cambridge initially stood by Arday, saying the allegations had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores Univ­er­sity, which award­ed his doctorate. It opened a fresh probe on Wednes­day after receiving new information.

Arday has denied plagiarism but acknowledged some mistakes in his doctoral work. In his resignation statement, he said the accusations, speculation and public commentary had taken a profound toll on him and his family.

—AP