An academic at the centre of a high-profile plagiarism row has resigned as a professor of sociology from the University of Cambridge.
It comes shortly after the university had announced it was launching an investigation into Professor Jason Arday’s “academic qualifications and honorary appointments.”
The scrutiny surrounding Professor Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest Black professor when he was appointed in 2023, centres on allegations that he copied sections of his PhD thesis from a student's paper published six years earlier.
He also faces questions over claims that he raised millions of pounds for charity and held honorary positions at other universities, despite those institutions later stating they have no record of him holding such titles, among other allegations.
A statement from the university said an inquiry into Professor Arday had begun “following new information” which has emerged.
Later on Wednesday, Professor Arday announced he was resigning from his role at the university, which he said was the “greatest professional privilege of my life.”
“It has been the privilege of my life to teach my students, to learn alongside them, and to witness their curiosity, kindness and ambition. They have given me far more than I could ever have given them,” he wrote in a letter to colleagues published on the Good Law Project’s website.
But, he said the “unrelenting level of personal scrutiny and public attack,” has taken its toll, adding “there comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great.”
Professor Arday, who grew up in Clapham, South London, has recently come under media scrutiny following allegations regarding plagiarism in his academic work, fabricated book credits, and discrepancies around his honorary roles.
Questions were asked in the press about the truth of claims made by Prof Arday, including saying that he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.
His letter read: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement. The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”
The professor said that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”, adding: “This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge.
“Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me. It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.”
Professor Arday previously denied the claims made against him in an interview with The Times.
He said: “I am accountable for the mistakes I’ve made. I hold myself accountable and other people should hold me accountable.
“We’re talking about academia here. I didn’t murder somebody. I think the cruelty that I’ve experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the university said: “The University of Cambridge has begun an investigation following new information about Professor Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments. In order to ensure a fair process, we will not comment further until this has concluded.
“Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy. This is consistent with our previous statement on the matter.
“While we are fully aware of the public commentary and concerns around this matter, it remains vital that any process is thorough and adheres to both university policies and employment law.
“We also fully recognise that there is a person at the centre of this situation and we continue to provide support to him.
“We are aware that Jesus College, Cambridge, will be taking their own steps in relation to some of these matters.”
It comes after it emerged that Scotland Yard investigated a journalist following his attempts to question the professor on the plagiarism allegations.
Jack Grove, a reporter for Times Higher Education (THE), contacted Professor Jason Arday with a series of questions about his academic record as part of his investigation.
Mr Grove began looking into Professor Arday’s background after being tipped off by academics who claimed to have identified apparent plagiarism in his published work.
In response to the inquiries, Professor Arday instructed the high-profile law firm Carter-Ruck, which sent a letter to THE suggesting that the investigation into his credentials “may be... racially motivated”.
A formal complaint of harassment was subsequently made to Scotland Yard, prompting police involvement.
The Metropolitan Police spent four months looking into the claim of harassment before deciding in February to close the case.
Mr Grove was not interviewed by the police and only learnt of the investigation when police contacted him to inform him that no action would be taken.
The Met also passed on a complaint to another force about an academic who was looking into the academic record of Professor Arday, but the other force refused to investigate, according to The Guardian.
Mr Grove told the newspaper that he had been “stunned” to receive a phone call from police to be told he had been investigated for what he believed was simply his job.
The journalist was also reportedly told to stop contacting Professor Arday because the reporting had allegedly affected the academic's "mental health".
“Journalists should be free to ask questions of anyone, even star professors,” Mr Grove told The Telegraph.
Mr Grove emailed Mr Arday directly, as well as Cambridge University and Liverpool John Moores University, where the professor was awarded his PhD, to ask about an apparent overlap with another student’s PhD.
Questions were also raised about Professor Arday’s claims of £5.5 million for charity through ultra-distance running.
A spokesman for the Met said: “On 18 November 2025, the Met received an allegation of harassment. The case was closed in February this year.”
A spokesman for Cambridge University said: “The university did not make any complaint to the police against Jack Grove in 2025. Neither was it aware of any such complaint being made.”
Professor Arday has been contacted by The Standard for comment.
