LONDON: The College of Cambridge stated on Friday (Aug 7) that it might be reviewing its hiring course of for senior roles because it probes claims of plagiarism by a professor who resigned this week.
Jason Arday, who made headlines when appointed as Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, resigned on Wednesday after the college introduced a probe into snowballing claims he plagiarised elements of his PhD thesis.
The college in an replace on Friday stated that “no matter” Arday’s resignation, it might “proceed to research the circumstances round (his) appointment and tenure”.
“The findings will feed right into a evaluation of the method for the appointment of senior tutorial roles,” it added.
Arday had introduced that he was resigning with quick impact each from his college submit as professor of sociology of training and as a fellow of Jesus School.
In a letter posted on-line, he stated quitting was “the one approach” to finish a “troublesome interval”, however insisted the choice shouldn’t be “mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives which have surrounded me”.
The college had beforehand defended Arday however stated on Wednesday its probe was prompted by “new data”, with out specifying.
Jesus School stated individually that it was launching its personal probe.
The faculty’s head, Sonita Alleyne, the primary black head of an Oxbridge school, has eliminated her identify from a petition defending Arday.
The scandal has been seized upon by right-wing newspapers and commentators, who’ve labelled Arday as a “poster boy” for range, equality and inclusion insurance policies.
The Instances newspaper has lately printed a number of investigative articles into Arday’s tutorial work and private life.
In an interview with the newspaper, Arday admitted to “errors” in his tutorial work, however stated he was being wrongly “portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and a tutorial fraud”.
He additionally alleged the “marketing campaign to unseat me from my place” was “racially motivated”.
Plagiarism claims in opposition to Arday had been first made in July by Nathan Cofnas, a US tutorial and self-defined “race realist” whose analysis affiliation with a Cambridge school was terminated in 2024 amid racism accusations.
