by Freddie Attenborough, The Critic
The Committee for Academic Freedom has launched its own investigation into Jason Arday to ask whether equality law or “equity” is driving academic recruitment
The Committee for Academic Freedom (CAF) has commissioned an independent investigation into Cambridge’s appointment of Dr Jason Arday as its youngest ever black professor, amid growing professional disquiet over his academic record, the circumstances of his appointment, the University’s handling of concerns raised about his scholarship and, more recently, the scope and direction of Cambridge’s own inquiry.
Among other matters, it will examine whether Arday’s scholarly output and academic standing met the standards ordinarily expected of a Cambridge professorship, and the extent to which the University exercised appropriate due diligence in assessing both. It will also consider what role, if any, was played in the appointment by institutional policies or considerations relating to equality, diversity and inclusion, including whether any positive action in recruitment was consistent with relevant provisions of equality law.
The investigation will be chaired by Professor Swaran Preet Singh, Lord Singh of Solihull, a former Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission who previously led the independent investigation into allegations of discrimination within the Conservative Party. He will be joined by a distinguished panel comprising Harvard psychologist Professor Steven Pinker, UCL sociologist Professor Alice Sullivan, Cambridge historian Professor Robert Tombs and Labour peer Professor Maurice Glasman.
Investigative journalist Nick Wallis, whose work exposing the Post Office Horizon scandal included three BBC Panorama programmes and the book The Great Post Office Scandal, will lead the investigation with a dedicated research team.