- Jason Arday was appointed at Cambridge, but a plagiarism row emerged, leading to his resignation.
- Academics at Cambridge are now calling for an independent inquiry into Arday's appointment following the controversy.
- Priyamvada Gopal expressed concerns that the university is facing massive reputational damage due to the affair.
- Gopal criticized the current academic climate, stating that universities are being targeted by a lazy and false division between academic excellence and diversity.
A group of academics is urging for an independent investigation into the appointment of Prof. Jason Arday at the University of Cambridge, following serious allegations of plagiarism.12
Arday, who recently resigned from his roles at Cambridge, faces scrutiny after accusations surfaced regarding his academic integrity.
Priyamvada Gopal, a professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge, emphasized the potential for "massive reputational damage" to the university, stating that it should not be "marking its own homework". Gopal and her colleagues propose that a mix of senior academics from Cambridge and other institutions conduct the inquiry.34
Cambridge has initiated its own investigation into "new information" regarding Arday's qualifications and the plagiarism allegations, which were first raised by Nathan Cofnas, a US researcher. Cofnas claimed that plagiarism detection software identified sections of Arday's PhD dissertation as being copied or lightly rephrased from other authors' works.
Although Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday's PhD, previously dismissed the allegations as likely resulting from "honest and reasonable error", Arday has acknowledged errors in his work but denies any intent to plagiarize. He attributes these mistakes to his autism and insufficient supervision during his early academic career.
Gopal criticized the ongoing culture wars in academia, stating that universities are being unfairly targeted by a false dichotomy between academic excellence and diversity.
“Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge, argues the university should not be 'marking its own homework' and suggests a mix of senior academics from Cambridge and elsewhere to investigate. She also decries a 'lazy and false division' between academic excellence and diversity as part of culture wars.”
bbc.com
