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 Jason Arday, who resigned from his University of Cambridge roles following allegations of plagiarism. The professor of education 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, as well as his upcoming memoir. Cambridge said findings from an investigation into Arday's academic qualifications and appointments would "feed into" a new review on the appointment process for senior academic roles. The university said on Friday that it would "continue to investigate the circumstances around Jason Arday's appointment and tenure". A spokesperson declined to comment further when approached by the BBC. Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge and among those calling for an independent probe, 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."