Cambridge University has launched an independent review into its handling of events before the death of Professor Jason Arday, including the support and protections available to him during a period of intense public scrutiny.
The review will be split into two parts. The first, led by former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal OBE, will examine the university’s support, interventions and decision-making in the period before Professor Arday’s death.
Cambridge said that part of the inquiry would be conducted urgently and report within three months, allowing any recommendations requiring immediate action to be considered without delay.
A second, broader investigation will examine institutional processes connected to Professor Arday’s appointment and time at the university. It will consider the recruitment of senior academics, mentoring and support arrangements, the university’s response to allegations of research misconduct and the help available to staff facing exceptional media attention.
The university is appointing an independent external chair for the second part and plans to establish an expert panel, including people with lived experience, to advise the review. That work is expected to conclude within six months of the panel being formed.
Cambridge vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said the university had worked hard to support Professor Arday but that his death had prompted questions about whether more could and should have been done.
Mr Afzal said his role would be to examine what support and protections were available to Professor Arday, while approaching the work with “rigour and humanity”. He said the review would be conducted independently and with urgency.
Professor Arday, 41, died at his home in Battersea, south London, on 14 August, nine days after resigning from his post as professor of sociology of education at Cambridge. An inquest has been opened and adjourned, with the coroner stating that the Metropolitan Police did not consider the circumstances suspicious.
Cambridge said the independent review would not investigate matters falling within the scope of the inquest process. Subject to legal and privacy considerations, it intends to publish a summary of the findings, recommendations and actions taken in response.
