The University of Cambridge has appointed Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, to lead the first part of an independent review into the death of Professor Jason Arday. Arday, a 37-year-old academic, died at his home in south London on 14 August, just nine days after he resigned from his position as a Cambridge professor. His resignation followed allegations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in his statements about his career. The university has described the time since Arday’s death as a “period of profound sadness and reflection,” with Vice-Chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice emphasizing the need to examine whether the university could have done more to support Arday during a difficult period. Arday had been appointed as Cambridge’s youngest ever Black professor in 2023, holding the title of professor of sociology of education. He denied the plagiarism accusations, but the university announced an investigation into his academic qualifications on 5 August, which led to his resignation shortly after. Prentice said the review would have two parts. The first, led by Afzal, would focus on the support the university provided to Arday in the immediate period before his death. The second part would look more broadly at the context of his time at the university, including how it handled allegations of research misconduct and the support it gave to academics under public scrutiny. Nazir Afzal, who is also the chancellor of the University of Manchester, has a background in law and has previously led reviews into serious issues, including a 2022 inquiry into the London Fire Brigade that uncovered a culture of misogyny, racism, and bullying. He said he would approach the review with both “rigour and humanity,” emphasizing the need to ask difficult questions about the support Arday received. The university has pledged to act on any recommendations from the review, with clear accountability for implementing necessary changes. The second part of the review will be led by an independent external chair and will include an expert panel with members who have personal experience of the issues being examined. Cambridge expects the first part of the review to be completed within three months, and the second part within six months of the panel’s formation. Earlier this week, Jacqui Smith, the UK’s higher education minister, stated she was “more than just keeping an eye” on the university’s response to Arday’s death. She also noted that the Office for Students, the regulator for higher education in England, has the authority to conduct further investigations if needed.