Cambridge academic in plagiarism row publishes memoir

Black British academic Jason Arday, who has been at the center of a row over alleged plagiarism and racism, published his memoir in the United States on Tuesday, days after resigning from Cambridge University.

Allegations against Arday have been seized on by British right-wing newspapers and commentators, who say he unfairly benefited from diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies.

The scandal erupted after some academics and media reports accused Arday, who became Cambridge University's youngest Black professor in 2023, of plagiarizing parts of his doctoral thesis.

His memoir "Great and Unfortunate Things" has also attracted scrutiny.

Diagnosed with autism, Arday says he was non-verbal until age 11 and only learnt to read and write at 18, before becoming Cambridge's professor of sociology of education at 37.

"Miraculously, just a few days shy of my 12th birthday, I spoke," he writes in the book, excerpts of which were published by The New York Times.

Its British publisher has insisted that "no allegations of plagiarism have been made with respect to" the memoir.

"What if I have completely overestimated my capabilities? What if my story ends up being a cautionary tale like Icarus about flying too close to the sun?" he writes in the book.

On Friday, Cambridge University said that it would continue to investigate Arday's appointment and tenure after he resigned citing pressure over the bitter dispute.

Arday announced that he was stepping down both from his university post as a professor and as a fellow of Jesus College.

The Times of London and Telegraph newspapers have published several investigative articles into Arday's academic work and personal life.

Arday has admitted to mistakes, but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud."

He also alleged the "campaign to unseat me from my position" was racially motivated.

Plagiarism claims against Arday were first made in July by Nathan Cofnas, a US academic and self-defined "race realist" whose research affiliation with a Cambridge college was terminated in 2024 amid racism accusations.