Cambridge to carry out probe into appointment of uni professor at centre of plagiarism row

THE University of Cambridge will launch an independent investigation into Professor Jason Arday’s appointment, it confirmed today. Arday, 41, has been at the centre of a high-profile dispute after he was accused of plagiarising from other students for his PhD thesis. The University of Cambridge will launch an independent investigation into Professor Jason Arday’s appointment Credit: SWNS Arday, who became the university’s youngest black professor in 2023, came under fire after critics accused him of stealing research Credit: X The university’s vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice described the case as an “aberration”. Arday, who became the university’s youngest black professor in 2023, came under fire after critics accused him of stealing research. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! An initial investigation into the professor’s “appointment and tenure” was launched last week. And the famous university today said it will probe Arday’s appointment by its Faculty of Education in 2022, as well as his time there since. The vice-chancellor said: “We will now investigate the circumstances around his appointment by the Faculty of Education back in 2022 and his time here in Cambridge since his appointment nearly four years ago. “This particular case is an aberration and should not be used to cast aspersions on their work or the legitimacy of their roles at Cambridge.” A series of media reports claimed Arday had plagiarised his PhD thesis – completed at Liverpool John Moores University – and other research. Last week, he admitted to a series of errors in his work and quit his role as professor, but denied the claims against him. Most read in The Sun Arday went on to insist he is not a “liar and fantasist” after a remarkable list of personal achievements were also called into question. These include running 600 miles in six days and raising millions of pounds for charity. He also claimed to have appeared in the TV series Seven Up, despite it broadcasting two decades before he was born. He told The Times: “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.” Analysis of Arday’s PhD thesis reportedly showed 180 passages were a match or near-match for another students. Since the allegations were made, Arday has said this was a result of his autism, meaning means he absorbs information through mimicry. He admitted that his outstanding feat of running 600 miles in six days was also wrong and it had taken 12 days. Arday also said the £5.5million he has raised for charity was not done alone but instead as part of a syndicate of around 100 others. Jesus College said previously that it was launching its own process in relation to the allegation. An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Prof Arday of wrongdoing. Prof Arday said in his open resignation letter that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”. But the under-fire professor was also accused of using AI to write his resignation letter. Online commentator Hunter Ash claims he ran Arday’s resignation letter through an AI detection model, which declared it 100 per cent artificial. Ash said: “Arday has resigned… with a 100% AI-generated letter. Incredible.” Comment now