Does Nathan Cofnas Now Get Jason Arday's Cambridge Professorship?
Dr. Arday just resigned, so Dr. Cofnas replacing him would only be fair under the ancient rules of academic combat.
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Anyway, back to breaking Jason Arday News:
From the Good Law Project, which was hosting the letter in support of Jason Arday, a [former] full professor at the University Cambridge (like, say, Charles Babbage or Paul Dirac), here’s an announcement by Dr. Arday:
Latest 5 August 2026
Dear colleagues,
It is with profound sadness that I write to resign, with immediate effect, from my position at the University of Cambridge and Jesus College.
When I accepted the extraordinary honour of becoming Professor of Sociology at Cambridge, it was, without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life. To become the youngest Black professor in the University’s history was something I could scarcely have imagined as a child growing up with a diagnosis of autism, unable to speak until I was eleven years old.
The response from so many people across the world was overwhelming. Thousands celebrated not simply my appointment, but what it represented: that talent, perseverance and hope can triumph over even the greatest adversity. 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.
Sadly, the years since my appointment have also been marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack. 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.
I have tried to continue because I believe deeply in the values of higher education, in rigorous scholarship, and in the transformative power of universities. I have tried because of my students, my colleagues and the countless people who have written to tell me that my journey gave them hope.
But there comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great.
I have a family. I want to be present for them. I want to reclaim some peace, some privacy and some semblance of an ordinary life. I no longer wish to feel as though I am living under a constant spotlight, where every aspect of my life is subject to public examination and judgement.
For my own wellbeing, for my family, and for those who have stood by me throughout this difficult period, I have concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away.
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.
To my students: thank you. Teaching you has been the greatest honour of my academic career. Your brilliance, compassion and determination give me enormous hope for the future.
To my colleagues and to the many thousands of people, from every corner of the world, who have supported me, defended me, written to me, and believed in me when it mattered most, I offer my deepest gratitude. Your kindness has carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life.
This is not the end of my work. It is simply the end of this chapter.
I need time to heal. I need time to simply be myself again.
And when that time comes, I will return.
I will return stronger, wiser and with the same determination that has always defined my journey. There is still so much work to do, and I look forward to doing it alongside so many of you in the years ahead.
For now, however, I ask only for understanding, for compassion, and for the space to begin again.
With gratitude,
Professor Jason Arday
Meanwhile, The Telegraph points out that a book that Arday has several times maybe, sort of claimed to have written did not go through the formality of coming into existence:
From The Telegraph:
Jason Arday resigns after Telegraph reveals his false book claims
Professor announces he is quitting Cambridge ‘with immediate’ effect after university launched investigation
Albert Tait
Education Editor
Updated 05 August 2026 8:39pm BST
Published 05 August 2026 2:19pm BST
Prof Jason Arday has resigned from the University of Cambridge after The Telegraph revealed he falsely claimed to have published a book.
In a letter online, Prof Arday said he was resigning “with immediate effect” from his position at the university and also Jesus College citing “unrelenting level of public scrutiny”.
The statement came hours after the university announced it was investigating him following new information regarding his “academic qualifications and honorary appointments”.
Earlier on Wednesday, The Telegraph also revealed that Prof Arday had repeatedly claimed that he was the author of a book called Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse.
The book was listed in his biography description in published essays as well as promotional material for speaking events, and was attributed to the Palgrave Macmillan publishing house.
In reality, it was never published. …
The universities of Glasgow and Ohio State have denied claims by Prof Arday that he had been a visiting professor at their institutions.
It was revealed by The Telegraph that Prof Arday has incorrectly claimed to be a visiting professor at the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. On the Cambridge Faculty of Education page, he claims to be a visiting professor at the university, in the city of Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth.
However, a university spokesman said Prof Arday had “no formal affiliation” with the institution and had served as an adjunct professor on a fixed-term association that ended in November 2025.
Adjunct professors are usually part-time and hold more junior positions than visiting professors.
Cambridge previously said Prof Arday was the victim of a “vile campaign to undermine his credibility”, but had faced a staff revolt over its refusal to re-examine his academic credentials. …
Palgrave Macmillan confirmed to The Telegraph that the project had been abandoned several years ago, although a spokesman would not comment on why.
Well, now that he’s relieved of teaching all those courses, grading all those papers, and researching all those landmark breakthrough studies of his, he’ll have time to write Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse.
I’m sure the world will greatly benefit from Dr. Arday’s novel insights.