LONDON: The University of Cambridge’s top administrator on Wednesday called a scandal over a black professor who has resigned amid accusations of plagiarism “an aberration” and vowed a thorough investigation.
The prestigious British university’s former professor of sociology of education, Jason Arday, resigned a week ago, facing snowballing allegations of plagiarising parts of his PhD thesis and overstating personal achievements.
Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice, in the university’s most extensive comment so far, insisted Arday’s alleged wrongdoing was “an aberration” that should not be used “to cast aspersions” on other academics of color.
She made the comment in a letter posted online Wednesday that was sent to university staff a day earlier, outlining her response to the “damaging and difficult” scandal.
Arday, who became the university’s youngest black professor at the age of 37, has denied any wrongdoing, saying in a resignation letter he did not accept “the narratives that have surrounded me.”
