Queen's University Belfast (QUB) has confirmed it is examining a 2021 paper published on its academic research platform that was co-authored by Prof Jason Arday, who recently stepped down from his posts at the University of Cambridge amid plagiarism accusations. The paper explored how university teaching affects "Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) learners" and "academics of colour," and was co-written with other researchers based at Queen's. Arday, who denies fabricating or exaggerating his credentials, has defended both himself and the integrity of his scholarship.
A university spokesperson told NI: "We are aware that Professor Arday's research, co-authored with academics from Queen's, is published on our academic research platform." They added: "We are currently looking into the matter and liaising with other UK universities in relation to it."
What is the disputed paper about?
Titled "Attempting to break the chain: Reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy," the paper argues that university curricula remain shaped by structures that exclude certain forms of knowledge. It states:
"The centrality of whiteness as an instrument of power and privilege ensures that particular types of knowledge continue to remain omitted from our curriculums."
The research drew partly on interviews with students and staff, whose testimonies were quoted directly. One student, described as being of mixed heritage, said:
"When you think about our curriculum it is actually very white and in many respects quite exclusionary."
A black male student who took part in the study added:
"Talking about race and racism… and decolonising the curriculum is really difficult… especially in a classroom space."
The authors ultimately called for universities to overhaul their curricula to reduce their "Eurocentric" focus and become more inclusive of diverse perspectives.
How does Queen's handle academic misconduct allegations?
Under the university's own guidance for handling academic offences, a complaint is first reported to a Head of School or Centre Director before an Investigating Officer is appointed to scrutinise the disputed work, interview those involved, and give at least five working days' notice ahead of any formal meeting, according to Queen's own published guidance. For more complex cases, including those involving plagiarism, the university can convene a preliminary investigation panel and may draw on outside expertise such as the UK Research Integrity Office, according to separate university research-integrity documentation. The same rules note that confirmed academic offences can carry serious consequences, ranging from zero marks for taught students to suspension or expulsion in the most serious cases, per the university's academic offences pages.
How does Queen's define plagiarism?
The university's guidance on the subject specifies that any exact wording taken from another source must appear in quotation marks with the source properly acknowledged, and warns that failing to credit paraphrased ideas or data also constitutes plagiarism, according to the university's plagiarism and referencing module. Separately, a broader academic-integrity policy circulated by the institution defines plagiarism as presenting someone else's ideas, words or work as one's own, and notes that even reusing one's own previously published material without disclosure can amount to self-plagiarism, according to the published academic-integrity policy.
What is happening at Cambridge?
A separate group of academics is pressing for an independent inquiry into how Cambridge appointed Arday in the first place. Several institutions listed on his CV as former employers have since said he never actually held the roles claimed. Arday has acknowledged mistakes in his work but insists he did not plagiarise, suggesting his autism combined with insufficient mentoring earlier in his career may explain the errors. He has also rejected suggestions that he lied about his professional accomplishments.
In 2023, at the age of 37, Arday became the youngest black professor in Cambridge's history, telling the BBC at the time that his research centred on neurodivergence and race within education.
This latest development follows a string of related controversies. Cambridge has already accepted Arday's resignation as academics pushed for a full independent review of how his hiring was managed, and separately the University of Glasgow announced it would review its own past decision to hire him. Arday previously told reporters he was "not a liar" when he publicly rejected the plagiarism claims against him. The controversy has also touched law enforcement, after the Metropolitan Police's Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley acknowledged the force had mishandled a complaint linked to the case tied to journalist Jack Grove's reporting.
What happens next?
Queen's has not given a timeline for concluding its review, but its standard procedure for academic offence cases involves notifying those concerned in writing, arranging a meeting with at least five working days' notice, and then issuing a formal outcome once the investigation concludes, according to the university's guidance for schools. Should the case proceed through a formal committee, any resulting decision that is appealed and referred onward would typically be communicated within eight working days, according to guidance published by the Queen's Students' Union.
Key Facts
- Queen's University Belfast is reviewing a 2021 paper co-authored by Prof Jason Arday and published on its research platform.
- The paper examined the impact of university curricula on BAME learners and academics of colour.
- Arday resigned from his Cambridge roles after allegations that he fabricated or exaggerated parts of his CV.
- Several universities named on his CV have denied he held the academic roles he claimed.
- Queen's says it is liaising with other UK universities as part of its inquiry.
