Posted on August 3, 2026 by John Hinderaker in Academic left, Education, Great Britain, Race
Academia: How Corrupt Can It Get? More corrupt, I suspect, than we can imagine. This is a big topic, but for now let’s take the case of Cambridge University professor Jason Arday. Arday’s story, as related by himself, is almost miraculous. And, it turns out, almost entirely false. Greeted as a hero just a few years ago–Cambridge’s youngest black professor!–his career is now on the rocks.
The story can be told in a chronological series of London Times articles:
February 2023: Jason Arday becomes Cambridge University’s youngest black professor.
An autistic sociologist who could not read or write until he was 18 has become Cambridge University’s youngest black professor.
Wait, what? Did this not strike anyone in academia as improbable?
Jason Arday, 37, was diagnosed with global development delay as well as autism spectrum disorder at the age of three and did not learn to speak until he was 11.
Less than eight years ago he was working in Sainsbury’s after therapists and career advisers predicted he would spend his adult life in assisted living and need lifelong support.
Arday, from Clapham, south London, has told how he defied the difficulties he faced and worked his way up in academia to land his dream role at Cambridge.
He couldn’t speak until he was 11, couldn’t read or write until he was 18? And now is a professor at Cambridge? It is notable that Arday’s parents, who presumably know something about his ability to speak and read, have never given an interview to any news outlet.
You may wonder, in what field of study has Arday so distinguished himself that, after such a slow start, he is now a Cambridge professor? No, you probably don’t need to wonder:
Bhaskar Vira, pro-vice-chancellor for education at the University of Cambridge, said: “Jason Arday is an exceptional scholar of race, inequality and education. He will contribute significantly to Cambridge’s research in this area and to addressing the under-representation of people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those from black, Asian, and other minority ethnic communities.
“His experiences highlight the barriers faced by many under-represented groups across higher education and especially at leading universities.
Posted on August 3, 2026 by John Hinderaker in Academic left, Education, Great Britain, Race
Academia: How Corrupt Can It Get? More corrupt, I suspect, than we can imagine. This is a big topic, but for now let’s take the case of Cambridge University professor Jason Arday. Arday’s story, as related by himself, is almost miraculous. And, it turns out, almost entirely false. Greeted as a hero just a few years ago–Cambridge’s youngest black professor!–his career is now on the rocks.
The story can be told in a chronological series of London Times articles:
February 2023: Jason Arday becomes Cambridge University’s youngest black professor.
An autistic sociologist who could not read or write until he was 18 has become Cambridge University’s youngest black professor.
Wait, what? Did this not strike anyone in academia as improbable?
Jason Arday, 37, was diagnosed with global development delay as well as autism spectrum disorder at the age of three and did not learn to speak until he was 11.
Less than eight years ago he was working in Sainsbury’s after therapists and career advisers predicted he would spend his adult life in assisted living and need lifelong support.
Arday, from Clapham, south London, has told how he defied the difficulties he faced and worked his way up in academia to land his dream role at Cambridge.
He couldn’t speak until he was 11, couldn’t read or write until he was 18? And now is a professor at Cambridge? It is notable that Arday’s parents, who presumably know something about his ability to speak and read, have never given an interview to any news outlet.
You may wonder, in what field of study has Arday so distinguished himself that, after such a slow start, he is now a Cambridge professor? No, you probably don’t need to wonder:
Bhaskar Vira, pro-vice-chancellor for education at the University of Cambridge, said: “Jason Arday is an exceptional scholar of race, inequality and education. He will contribute significantly to Cambridge’s research in this area and to addressing the under-representation of people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those from black, Asian, and other minority ethnic communities.
“His experiences highlight the barriers faced by many under-represented groups across higher education and especially at leading universities.
Next: July 2026: Cambridge University pioneer Jason Arday in plagiarism row.
The youngest black professor ever appointed at Cambridge University has been accused of plagiarising the work of other academics, a month before the release of his memoir, which details his “improbable triumphs and heart-breaking setbacks”.
Concerns about Jason Arday’s work have circulated within academic circles since 2023, the year he was made professor of sociology at the age of 37.
They were aired publicly this week in an article published on the blog of a former Cambridge academic, who presented a side-by-side comparison of Arday’s PhD dissertation with the thesis of another student.
This Times article takes a neutral stance on the plagiarism question, and devotes equal time to undermining the person who raised the issue. It also repeats, uncritically, Arday’s origin story:
Arday’s achievement in becoming a professor at such a young age was even more impressive for the fact that he was unable to read or write until he was 18. Diagnosed at age three with autism spectrum disorder, he was non-verbal until the age of 11 and left school with two GCSEs, in PE and textiles.
But Arday’s fantastic claims now began to draw scrutiny.
July 2026: Cambridge University professor faces scrutiny over fundraising claims.
A Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism is facing fresh questions about claims he made of long distance running feats and charity fundraising.
Jason Arday, who at 37 became the youngest black professor ever appointed at the University of Cambridge, has repeatedly spoken about extraordinary endurance running challenges, which he said raised vast sums of money for charity.
Experts in ultra-distance running have now cast doubt on some of his claims, some of which have been removed from the internet or the references changed. *** Arday has spoken often of undertaking endurance running challenges to raise money for charity. He told the Greenbelt Festival in 2024: “When I was 25, I ran 30 marathons in 35 days. And then I did a series of challenges after that and then I ran 300 miles in 3 days on the treadmill. And then the final challenge when I was 30, I ran 600 miles in 6 days. And I was fortunate that I got to that target of a million pounds before I turned 30.”
Extraordinary claims. But at this point, both the London Times and Cambridge University were on Arday’s side:
On Friday June 24, Cambridge defended Arday, saying that the allegations of plagiarism against him were unfounded and part of “a vile campaign to undermine his credibility”. Liverpool John Moores University said it had investigated the allegations and cleared Arday of any wrongdoing.
August 2026: ‘Plagiarist’ professor Jason Arday faces scrutiny over pig’s head claim.
A Cambridge academic at the centre of a plagiarism row is facing further scrutiny over claims that police investigated a pig’s head he said was sent to his parents.
Jason Arday was fêted as the youngest black professor at the university, but has become embroiled in a plagiarism scandal after he was alleged to have used the work of other academics in his dissertation.
In an interview with The Times last week, he acknowledged a series of errors in his work but denied he was “a liar”.
He has now faced further scrutiny over claims he has made about his personal life, including the level of abuse he is alleged to have suffered. In an interview with The Guardian, published on Saturday, he claimed a severed pig’s head was delivered to his parents’ home in south London.
However, the Metropolitan Police told The Times they could find “no record of any allegation involving a pig’s head and no record of any of the subsequent claims about officers visiting butchers [as Arday alleged]”.
The Times article also describes Arday’s claim, obviously false, that he was featured in a television series that aired before he was born.
The Times article also describes Arday’s claim, obviously false, that he was featured in a television series that aired before he was born.
August 3, 2026: Cambridge academic loses backing over plagiarism claims.
The president of a Cambridge college has withdrawn her support for the Cambridge professor Jason Arday after he appeared to admit plagiarising parts of his PhD thesis.
Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, a nanoscientist and the head of Wolfson College, had previously signed an open letter in support of Arday that was circulated by the Good Law Project.
Arday, who was the youngest black professor to be appointed by the university, has been accused of plagiarism and making exaggerated claims about his sporting and fundraising achievements.
This is notable:
Significant parts of his PhD thesis appear to have been copied verbatim from another researcher, Paula Zwozdiak-Myers, who wrote a PhD thesis on the same topic several years earlier.
When LJMU investigated the case, Arday did not dispute the specific allegations of plagiarism but said the misconduct panel should consider the political context of a “war on critical race theory” and the weaponisation of plagiarism allegations against black researchers.
So, a guilty plea. But the “political context” makes it OK. We are all on the same side, aren’t we?
Posted on August 3, 2026 by John Hinderaker in Academic left, Education, Great Britain, Race
Academia: How Corrupt Can It Get? More corrupt, I suspect, than we can imagine. This is a big topic, but for now let’s take the case of Cambridge University professor Jason Arday. Arday’s story, as related by himself, is almost miraculous. And, it turns out, almost entirely false. Greeted as a hero just a few years ago–Cambridge’s youngest black professor!–his career is now on the rocks.
The story can be told in a chronological series of London Times articles:
February 2023: Jason Arday becomes Cambridge University’s youngest black professor.
An autistic sociologist who could not read or write until he was 18 has become Cambridge University’s youngest black professor.
Wait, what? Did this not strike anyone in academia as improbable?
Jason Arday, 37, was diagnosed with global development delay as well as autism spectrum disorder at the age of three and did not learn to speak until he was 11.
Less than eight years ago he was working in Sainsbury’s after therapists and career advisers predicted he would spend his adult life in assisted living and need lifelong support.
Arday, from Clapham, south London, has told how he defied the difficulties he faced and worked his way up in academia to land his dream role at Cambridge.
He couldn’t speak until he was 11, couldn’t read or write until he was 18? And now is a professor at Cambridge? It is notable that Arday’s parents, who presumably know something about his ability to speak and read, have never given an interview to any news outlet.
You may wonder, in what field of study has Arday so distinguished himself that, after such a slow start, he is now a Cambridge professor? No, you probably don’t need to wonder:
Bhaskar Vira, pro-vice-chancellor for education at the University of Cambridge, said: “Jason Arday is an exceptional scholar of race, inequality and education. He will contribute significantly to Cambridge’s research in this area and to addressing the under-representation of people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those from black, Asian, and other minority ethnic communities.
“His experiences highlight the barriers faced by many under-represented groups across higher education and especially at leading universities.
Next: July 2026: Cambridge University pioneer Jason Arday in plagiarism row.
The youngest black professor ever appointed at Cambridge University has been accused of plagiarising the work of other academics, a month before the release of his memoir, which details his “improbable triumphs and heart-breaking setbacks”.
Concerns about Jason Arday’s work have circulated within academic circles since 2023, the year he was made professor of sociology at the age of 37.
They were aired publicly this week in an article published on the blog of a former Cambridge academic, who presented a side-by-side comparison of Arday’s PhD dissertation with the thesis of another student.
This Times article takes a neutral stance on the plagiarism question, and devotes equal time to undermining the person who raised the issue. It also repeats, uncritically, Arday’s origin story:
Arday’s achievement in becoming a professor at such a young age was even more impressive for the fact that he was unable to read or write until he was 18. Diagnosed at age three with autism spectrum disorder, he was non-verbal until the age of 11 and left school with two GCSEs, in PE and textiles.
But Arday’s fantastic claims now began to draw scrutiny.
July 2026: Cambridge University professor faces scrutiny over fundraising claims.
A Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism is facing fresh questions about claims he made of long distance running feats and charity fundraising.
Jason Arday, who at 37 became the youngest black professor ever appointed at the University of Cambridge, has repeatedly spoken about extraordinary endurance running challenges, which he said raised vast sums of money for charity.
Experts in ultra-distance running have now cast doubt on some of his claims, some of which have been removed from the internet or the references changed. *** Arday has spoken often of undertaking endurance running challenges to raise money for charity. He told the Greenbelt Festival in 2024: “When I was 25, I ran 30 marathons in 35 days. And then I did a series of challenges after that and then I ran 300 miles in 3 days on the treadmill. And then the final challenge when I was 30, I ran 600 miles in 6 days. And I was fortunate that I got to that target of a million pounds before I turned 30.”
Extraordinary claims. But at this point, both the London Times and Cambridge University were on Arday’s side:
On Friday June 24, Cambridge defended Arday, saying that the allegations of plagiarism against him were unfounded and part of “a vile campaign to undermine his credibility”. Liverpool John Moores University said it had investigated the allegations and cleared Arday of any wrongdoing.
August 2026: ‘Plagiarist’ professor Jason Arday faces scrutiny over pig’s head claim.
A Cambridge academic at the centre of a plagiarism row is facing further scrutiny over claims that police investigated a pig’s head he said was sent to his parents.
Jason Arday was fêted as the youngest black professor at the university, but has become embroiled in a plagiarism scandal after he was alleged to have used the work of other academics in his dissertation.
In an interview with The Times last week, he acknowledged a series of errors in his work but denied he was “a liar”.
He has now faced further scrutiny over claims he has made about his personal life, including the level of abuse he is alleged to have suffered. In an interview with The Guardian, published on Saturday, he claimed a severed pig’s head was delivered to his parents’ home in south London.
However, the Metropolitan Police told The Times they could find “no record of any allegation involving a pig’s head and no record of any of the subsequent claims about officers visiting butchers [as Arday alleged]”.
The Times article also describes Arday’s claim, obviously false, that he was featured in a television series that aired before he was born.
August 3, 2026: Cambridge academic loses backing over plagiarism claims.
The president of a Cambridge college has withdrawn her support for the Cambridge professor Jason Arday after he appeared to admit plagiarising parts of his PhD thesis.
Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, a nanoscientist and the head of Wolfson College, had previously signed an open letter in support of Arday that was circulated by the Good Law Project.
Arday, who was the youngest black professor to be appointed by the university, has been accused of plagiarism and making exaggerated claims about his sporting and fundraising achievements.
This is notable:
Significant parts of his PhD thesis appear to have been copied verbatim from another researcher, Paula Zwozdiak-Myers, who wrote a PhD thesis on the same topic several years earlier.
When LJMU investigated the case, Arday did not dispute the specific allegations of plagiarism but said the misconduct panel should consider the political context of a “war on critical race theory” and the weaponisation of plagiarism allegations against black researchers.
So, a guilty plea. But the “political context” makes it OK. We are all on the same side, aren’t we?
It seems clear that Jason Arday’s entire story is a lie. Academia is most sensitive to the plagiarism issue, but that is perhaps the least of it.
On X, we have The Great Unchecked Fairy Tale of Jason Arday:
Arday has said he was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay at three. Non-verbal until eleven. Couldn’t read or write until eighteen. He claimed three hours of speech therapy every day, six or seven days a week, from the age of three. In a later video he upped it to four to five hours every day from the age of three. He has also said his mother “holds five degrees” and that he comes from “a family of nurses.”
His parents have never given a public interview. Not once. No clinic named. No therapist. No school records from Wandsworth, Southfields or Merton confirming any of this. The five-degrees claim for his mother only appeared recently. Earlier profiles just called her a mental health nurse. Daily private therapy on that scale for eight years would have cost a fortune. No one has ever produced a single independent source for any of it.
Developing normal speech after being non-verbal until eleven is medically improbable. He left school with GCSEs in PE and Textiles — tests that require literacy and are normally taken at 15 or 16. His forthcoming memoir now softens it to “left secondary school with two GCSEs… still barely able to read or write.” The story moves when it needs to.
He has also claimed to be deaf in one ear. This claim appeared only recently and has never been independently verified.
His parents have never given a single public interview, never confirmed the diagnoses, never confirmed the speech therapy, never confirmed the five degrees, and never spoken in support of any part of the early-life story.
There is much, much more at the link. To be fair, though, there is one aspect of Arday’s story that is actually documented: at one time in his life, he was a physical education teacher. From P.E. teacher to Cambridge professor! It took chutzpah, if nothing else. And it shows the utter corruption of academia, desperate as always for “an exceptional scholar of race, inequality and education.”
John Hinderaker
