Cambridge professor faces fresh scrutiny over CV claims after plagiarism row

New questions over academic biography

A University of Cambridge professor already facing allegations over his doctoral thesis is now under renewed scrutiny after reports claimed he overstated academic appointments at three universities in the UK and United States.

Professor Jason Arday, who made history as the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge, is alleged to have listed academic affiliations that the institutions concerned say they cannot verify.

The latest claims come weeks after separate allegations that sections of his PhD dissertation closely resembled the work of another academic.

Universities dispute listed appointments

According to reports, Arday's official Cambridge biography stated he was a visiting professor with Ohio State University's former Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

However, Ohio State reportedly said it has no record of Arday holding such a position. The university's Diversity and Inclusion office was also closed in 2025.

Questions have also been raised over Arday's claim that he is a visiting professor at the University of Glasgow's School of Education.

A university spokesperson reportedly said Arday is not a visiting professor there.

Meanwhile, Durham University confirmed Arday had previously held several roles with the institution but said he does not currently occupy a formal honorary professorship, describing his present involvement as an unpaid academic association linked to ongoing project work.

Plagiarism allegations remain disputed

The fresh controversy follows claims published by Nathan Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, who alleged that more than 100 passages in Arday's PhD thesis closely resembled material contained in another doctoral dissertation.

Those allegations were later highlighted by other media reports, prompting calls for further scrutiny of the work.

Arday has previously said he supports "fair investigation processes for genuine concerns" relating to academic misconduct.

University says investigation found no plagiarism

The University of Cambridge said allegations concerning Arday's PhD had been referred to Liverpool John Moores University, where he completed his doctorate.

According to Cambridge, Liverpool John Moores reviewed the complaints and concluded that Arday had not committed plagiarism.

Cambridge said investigations into doctoral research are normally carried out by the university that awarded the degree, as it has access to the relevant records and evidence.

"We take allegations of academic misconduct incredibly seriously," a university spokesperson said.

Academic career under spotlight

Arday has attracted international attention for his personal story, having spoken publicly about living with autism and being largely non-verbal until the age of 11 before going on to become one of Britain's most prominent sociology of education academics.

The recent allegations have placed his academic record under increased public scrutiny, although neither the plagiarism claims nor the questions surrounding his listed university affiliations have resulted in any announced disciplinary action by Cambridge.

Whether further investigations are launched into the latest claims remains to be seen, but the controversy has intensified debate over academic integrity, professional credentials and how universities verify information published in official staff biographies.

SOURCE

Professor Jason Andy’s critic, Nathan Cofnas is himself an adherent and exponent of Scientific Racism, he perhaps can’t stomach a black guy being a Cambridge Professor.

https://www.brusselstimes.com/2007046/ghent-university-under-fire-for-appointing-us-philosopher-with-ties-to-scientific-racism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_racism

Edited 17 minutes ago17 min by Chomper Higgot

5 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Professor Jason Andy’s critic, Nathan Cofnas is himself an adherent and exponent of Scientific Racism, he perhaps can’t stomach a black guy being a Cambridge Professor.

https://www.brusselstimes.com/2007046/ghent-university-under-fire-for-appointing-us-philosopher-with-ties-to-scientific-racism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_racism

Hope you're not trying to defend this psycho, mentally ill, nig-nog. Blacks lie, blacks are victims, blacks are never to blame, blacks are irresponsible losers, blacks are con artists, and blacks are violent criminals. It's in their DNA. Your opinions, as naive as they are, are determined by your ill informed gullibility and wokeness!