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Podcasts | Intellectual Diversity

Jason Arday, Nathan Cofnas, and Plagiarism Accusations at Cambridge

September 3, 2026

Was Jason Arday an academic superstar or a plagiarizing fraud? Do Nathan Cofnas’s research interests invalidate his critique of Arday’s work? Why are so few talking about the University of Cambridge’s role in this story?
In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison discuss the case of Jason Arday, a former Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism and found dead shortly after a scandal about his research broke in July 2026. The hosts discuss the accusations against Arday, how he and Cambridge responded to questions about Arday’s academic qualifications and integrity, and what has happened to Nathan Cofnas, the most recent scholar to raise questions about the originality of Arday’s scholarship.

Note: Please check any quotations against the audio recording. A transcript is available upon request. The views expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and may not necessarily reflect those of ACTA.

Radio Free Campus is offered by the Campus Freedom Initiative™ at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

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