Cambridge academics demand independent inquiry into appointment of Jason Arday as professor
Cambridge academics are demanding an independent inquiry into the appointment of Jason Arday as a professor after he resigned from the post amid accusations of plagiarism and embellishing his achievements.
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A joint letter is being circulated by dons at the university calling for an investigation into university chiefs who appointed him.
Mr Arday resigned on Wednesday evening after mounting pressure over accusations he plagiarised parts of his PhD thesis, falsely claimed to have published a book and made false claims about his employment history and achievements.
Prof Priyamvada Gopal, a professor of post-colonial studies at Cambridge’s English faculty and one of the organisers of the joint letter, has called for an investigation into his appointment.
She has said that the scandal has caused huge reputational damage and that leaders at the university cannot brush aside what has happened.
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She told the Guardian: “An independent investigation must scrutinise how such an early-career appointment to a very senior and prestigious professorial chair was made and what both the faculty of education and university management may have got very badly wrong.”
She accused the university of cutting corners "on the hard work of fostering equality and inclusion” by opting for a media-friendly appointment.
She also said it was vital that the university was not allowed to 'mark its own homework' on the matter.
“The university is currently suffering from massive reputational damage, and this is reputational damage that has upset colleagues across isciplines, across the political spectrum," she added.
When Mr Arday was appointed in 2023, Prof Hilary Cremlin, the head of the Faculty of Education, showered him in praise, telling the BBC: "“We are so lucky to have you. You are the best in the world in terms of the research that you do."
Professor Jason Arday quit his high-profile role at the University of Cambridge on Wednesday after it launched an investigation into his “academic qualifications and honorary appointments”.
The professor of sociology of education, who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, said in his open resignation letter that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”.
His decision to step down comes after a series of media reports, including a story in The Daily Telegraph, alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis and other research.
Further questions were asked in the press about the truth of other claims made by Prof Arday, including saying that he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.
In his resignation letter addressed to colleagues published on the Good Law Project’s website, Prof Arday said: “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.”
Speaking as Prof Arday’s resignation was announced, Green Party leader Zac Polanski sought to defend his decision to sign a letter which criticised the “sustained and malicious attacks” on the academic’s integrity.
The letter was also signed by a number of other prominent left-wing figures.
Asked on LBC about the decision to put his name to it, Mr Polanski said: “I think the whole affair sounds pretty sad.
“Again, I think it would be good, actually, if the (university) investigation still was carried out, because I think it would be good to know the truth.
“And ultimately, I think these things should be about fair process and transparency rather than trial by media.”
Mr Polanski added: “(The university) had already done, I think, two investigations and found there was no problem here or that the allegations were unfounded, and so (the letter) was about essentially saying that people of colour, particularly in society, can sometimes be held by higher standards.”
Earlier on Wednesday evening, the University of Cambridge announced it had launched an investigation.
In a statement, it said: “Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy.”
Meanwhile, Jesus College said in a statement that it was launching its own process in relation to the allegation.
Prof Arday’s memoir, Great And Unfortunate Things, is due to be published by Simon & Schuster later this month.