Prof Priyamvada Gopal, who is part of the group, says Cambridge should not be "marking its own homework".

A group of academics is calling for an independent investigation into the appointment of Prof Jason Arday, who resigned from his University of Cambridge roles following allegations of plagiarism. The former chair of the education faculty has also faced accusations of fabricating or exaggerating elements of his CV. He has defended himself and his work. Attention has now turned to Cambridge's handling of concerns about Arday, who became its youngest-ever black professor in 2023. Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge and among those calling for an independent inquiry, said the university was facing "massive reputational damage" over the affair. "This is reputational damage that has upset colleagues across disciplines, across the political spectrum," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday. "I've been quite struck by the number of people who are very upset by what has happened. So I don't think it is an option for Cambridge to just sweep this under the carpet and not take any action at all." Cambridge announced on Thursday that it had begun an investigation into "new information" about Arday's academic qualifications and appointments, having already said it was looking into allegations of plagiarism. But Gopal said the university should not be "marking its own homework", adding that the group of academics of which she is a part had suggested a mix of senior academics at Cambridge and elsewhere to conduct an investigation.