The vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge has said she understands the concerns raised by the appointment of Jason Arday and shares them too.
In a letter to staff, Prof Deborah Prentice acknowledged the “anger and anxiety around this damaging and difficult case”.
The university head also announced Cambridge’s investigation would be independent and carried out by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge and will begin “as soon as possible”.
Arday resigned as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education last week amid allegations of plagiarism and questions about some of his achievements.
The 41-year-old – who became Cambridge’s youngest ever black professor in 2023 – denies any plagiarism and said the recent furore had led to “an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack”.
In a letter to university staff, Prof Deborah Prentice said: “I fully understand the concerns being raised across the University and well beyond it, regarding Jason Arday’s appointment and I share them…
“We will now investigate the circumstances around his appointment by the faculty of education back in 2022 and his time here in Cambridge since his appointment nearly four years ago.
“That investigation, as you say, should be thorough and transparent, and will be carried out independently by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge.”
The findings of the investigation, previously announced on Friday, will inform a review into the process for the appointment of senior academic roles, the university has said.
Prentice added “our staff of colour are highly valued, for their scholarship, their achievements, and the contributions they make” and said the case “should not be used to cast aspersions on their work or the legitimacy of their roles at Cambridge”.
Cambridge had previously said allegations of plagiarism regarding Arday’s thesis and some journal publications had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University (LMJU) and the journals in question.
LJMU – which awarded his PhD in 2015 – had investigated the allegations that were made last year, and found he did not commit plagiarism.
In an interview with the Times, Arday defended himself by arguing that he had not received adequate supervision during his PhD given his autism and “learning disabilities”.
The University of Cambridge said it had advised people to contact the relevant institution or passed on complaints.
But after Cambridge announced its own investigation, some academics pushed for the inquiry to be independent, questioning whether the university could adequately investigate its own processes.
It is not yet clear how the independent investigation will work or who will lead it. The university said it will look at the circumstances around his appointment by the faculty of education in 2022 and his time in Cambridge since his appointment.
Arday worked as a PE teacher before earning his doctorate at LMJU and going on to become an associate professor at Durham University and professor of sociology of education at the University of Glasgow.
Glasgow has also announced a review into Arday’s previous academic post.
When he resigned from his post, Arday said he was not a “liar” and that his resignation “should not be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.”