Cambridge Panel Wrote of Need to "Re-Educate" Whites

The case involving Jason Arday, a former Black professor at the University of Cambridge, is expanding to include the circumstances surrounding his appointment. The Telegraph has drawn attention to the academic work of two external members of the nine-member committee that unanimously selected Arday as a professor of sociology of education in 2022.

In their scholarly work, Professors Michalinos Zembylas and Anoop Nayak have focused on critiquing "whiteness", a concept understood as a social or power structure.

In one of his studies, co-authored with another scholar, Zembylas wrote about "re-education of whites" toward a critical stance on whiteness. Nayak, in turn, criticized the "neo-liberal whiteness" of British and American universities and described the significantly higher tuition fees for international students as potentially discriminatory.

The disclosure comes after Arday's resignation from Cambridge. The Telegraph had previously uncovered more than 180 passages in his dissertation that were identical or nearly identical to another student's work. Several other claims in his CV also proved to be questionable. Arday denies any academic misconduct.

Some academics are now criticizing the selection process itself. Economist Partha Dasgupta argues that the committee may have allowed "political correctness" to take precedence over academic standards. Cambridge has not confirmed such a causal link.

The university announced that the investigation will continue despite Arday's resignation, examining the circumstances of his appointment and tenure while also reviewing its procedures for hiring senior academics.

(mja)