Jason Arday, the academic who resigned last week as a professor at the University of Cambridge over plagiarism allegations, has been found dead at his home in south London. Police were called to the address after 3pm on Friday.
Key facts
- Jason Arday was found dead at his home in south London.
- The Metropolitan police said officers were called to the address by the London ambulance service after 3pm on Friday.
- Arday resigned as a professor at the University of Cambridge one week earlier amid plagiarism claims.
- He became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023 at the age of 37, according to NPR.
- His family said they were 'in shock' and pointed to a 'campaign of misinformation', according to the BBC.
Jason Arday, the academic who resigned last week as a professor at the University of Cambridge amid plagiarism allegations, has been found dead at his home in south London, according to the Guardian.
The Metropolitan police said officers were called to Arday’s address by the London ambulance service after 3pm on Friday, the Guardian reported. He was found unresponsive at a home in southwest London, according to NPR.
Arday’s death came just a week after he resigned from the University of Cambridge, according to Al Jazeera. The plagiarism claims were at the centre of a row surrounding his departure from the institution.
NPR reported that Arday was 37 when he became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023. His academic career had drawn significant attention.
His family said they were “in shock” to have lost him, the BBC reported, adding that a “campaign of misinformation” had been too much. Tributes were paid to Arday following news of his death.
The circumstances of his death and the details of the plagiarism allegations have not been fully set out in the available reporting.
Why it matters
Arday was a prominent academic and, according to NPR, became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, making his death a significant loss in UK higher education. The case also raises questions about the toll of public allegations, with his family citing a 'campaign of misinformation' as reported by the BBC.
Frequently asked questions
How did Jason Arday die?
The available reporting does not state a cause of death. The Metropolitan police said officers were called to his home by the London ambulance service after 3pm on Friday, and he was found unresponsive, according to the Guardian and NPR.
Why did Jason Arday resign from Cambridge?
According to the reporting, Arday resigned as a professor at the University of Cambridge last week amid plagiarism allegations.
What did Arday's family say?
His family said they were 'in shock' to have lost him and added that a 'campaign of misinformation' had been too much, according to the BBC.