Cambridge faces calls for investigation into appointment of professor Jason Arday after plagiarism allegations
A joint letter is being circulated by professors at the university calling for an investigation into the university leaders who appointed him.
Mr. Arday resigned on Wednesday evening after increasing pressure due to accusations that he plagiarized parts of his PhD thesis, falsely claimed to have published a book, and made false statements about his employment history and achievements.
Prof. Priyamvada Gopal, a professor of post-colonial studies at Cambridge’s English faculty and one of the organizers of the joint letter, has called for an investigation into his appointment.
She stated that the scandal has caused significant reputational damage and that university leaders cannot overlook what has occurred.
She told the Guardian: “An independent investigation must scrutinize 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 gotten 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 disciplines, 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 with 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 plagiarized his PhD thesis and other research.
Further questions were raised 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 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 that criticized 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 color, particularly in society, can sometimes be held to higher standards.”
Earlier on Wednesday evening, the University of Cambridge announced it had launched an investigation.
In a statement, it said: “Separately, there remain 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.
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