Here in Newcastle, his life and work was honored with a vigil on 20th August, organised by Newcastle University’s UCU branch. Similar to vigils taking place up and down the country, this event moved away from the intense media scrutiny that Arday received, instead honoring the late professor’s memory by focusing on his accomplishments and commitment to activism.
UCU representatives Audrey Verma and Graham Smith, both academics at Newcastle University, spoke to the Courier about the vigil, stating that it was "a clear indication of the deep grief, fear and anger around Prof Arday's passing among academic colleagues and the wider community".
They went on to discuss Arday’s connections with universities and projects in the North East. Most notably, they highlighted the pro:NE programme, an initiative set up by Arday to improve access to academia in the North East for racial minorities, by increasing scholarships, establishing mentoring programmes and reducing admissions bias. Just last October, Arday had come to Newcastle as the speaker for a Black History Month lecture, speaking eloquently on the impact of racism on the higher education sector.
...Arday has left a legacy in higher education institutions in the North...
These projects, plus his previous work as an associate professor at Durham, mean that Arday has left a legacy in higher education institutions in the North, as well as in academia at large. The UCU commented on this, saying that Arday’s legacy will "continue for a long time to come". In particular, they highlighted the students he has worked with ‘who remember his wisdom, kindness and generosity - these students are going to be the next generation of academics.’
In Newcastle University’s statement following the death of Jason Arday, the organisation said that Arday's passing served as "an important reminder of the need to continue challenging racism and discrimination, and to build more inclusive communities in which everyone can thrive." They also affirmed that they “remain committed to anti-racism and to ensuring that every student and colleague can flourish, regardless of their background".
However, the response from the UCU suggests that there is still much work to be done in this respect. They said, “at a time too when the UK higher education sector is experiencing some of the most sustained crises with perpetual rounds of redundancies and restructuring, it is hard not to see the targeting of Prof Arday as fitting right into an increasingly racist, ableist and hostile sociopolitical climate keen to discipline or decimate institutions of critical and higher education".
The allegations towards Arday have become one of the largest and most sensationalist news stories to come from the academic world in recent memory. The UCU were honest in telling us what this news story has highlighted about the lives and work of academics across the country. They said, “few, if any, academics are trained or prepared for even a fraction of the exposure Prof Arday faced. And few, if any, of us have any sort of robust media training or professional networks of support for fielding this level of attention.” They also claimed “there is little mental health support to speak of, and not particularly clear chains of accountability or legal assistance.”
We must come to candid grips with the hostile new politics facing the academic community...
Clearly, there are lessons to be learned from the Jason Arday story, both by the media and academia at large. But for Newcastle University specifically, the UCU are passionate about ensuring that the institution protects all academics working there.
“This is the time for students and staff individually and through their representative organisations to unite and defend equality and inclusion,” they said. “We must come to candid grips with the hostile new politics facing the academic community, and understand that not having clear values that align coherently with fair access to education and knowledge will guarantee not just a hollow, but pointless, institution.”