Key facts
- Cambridge University has launched an independent review into its decision-making and actions regarding Professor Jason Arday.
- The review will examine the support provided to Arday in the period leading up to his death on August 14.
- Jason Arday, 41, resigned from his position amid allegations of plagiarism and died a week later.
- The review will be conducted in two parts, with the first focusing on immediate support and the second on broader university practices.
- Nazir Afzal will lead the first part of the review, which is expected to report within three months.
The University of Cambridge has initiated an independent review into its decision-making and actions in the period leading up to the death of Professor Jason Arday. Arday, 41, was found dead at his home on August 14, a week after resigning from his position as professor of sociology of education amid allegations of plagiarism, which he denied.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice stated that the university had worked hard to support Arday during a difficult time of external criticism, but acknowledged the need to determine if more could have been done given the "devastating outcome." The review aims to identify shortcomings and areas for improvement.
The first part of the review, led by Nazir Afzal, former chief crown prosecutor for the North West of England and chancellor of the University of Manchester, will focus on the "support, interventions and protections" available to Arday. Findings from this part are expected within three months, allowing for urgent recommendations.
The second part of the review will examine broader circumstances of Arday's tenure at Cambridge, including the recruitment of senior academic staff, mentoring, support arrangements, and the university's response to allegations of research misconduct and academics facing intense public scrutiny. An independent external chair and an expert panel will lead this phase, expected to conclude within six months.
Arday, who became the youngest black professor at Cambridge in 2023, had admitted to errors in his work, attributing some to his autism and reliance on mimicry. The allegations of plagiarism were raised by academic Nathan Cofnas. Arday's family stated that a "campaign of misinformation" was too much for him.