UK leader calls for reflection after death of former Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism
- Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor, was found dead at an address in south London on Friday at age 41.
- He had resigned the previous week as professor of sociology of education after weeks of media scrutiny over allegations of plagiarism and questions about claims in his biography.
- Police said the death was being treated as unexpected but not suspicious.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the death a tragedy and urged reflection rather than rushed judgment.
- Arday’s family said he had faced years of abuse, harassment and a campaign of misinformation.
- Cambridge said it would investigate the circumstances around Arday’s employment and review how it hires senior staff.
Jason Arday, who had been Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, was found dead in south London on Friday, days after stepping down from his post. Police said the death was unexpected but not suspicious.
Arday resigned last week as professor of sociology of education after weeks of headlines alleging plagiarism in his academic work and questioning some of the claims he had made about his life and achievements. He denied plagiarism but acknowledged some mistakes in his doctoral work.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the death was a tragedy and said it was a moment for reflection rather than rushing to judgment. Arday’s family said he had faced sustained abuse and harassment, while critics and supporters argued over whether the scrutiny had crossed the line into a broader public campaign.
Cambridge said it had opened inquiries into the circumstances around his appointment and would review how it hires senior staff. The university had initially said the plagiarism allegations had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday’s doctorate.
英国领导人呼吁反思剑桥前教授在抄袭指控后去世一事
杰森·阿德伊于2023年成为剑桥大学最年轻的黑人教授之一，周五被发现在伦敦南部死亡，距离他辞职仅过去几天。警方表示，这起死亡事件属意外，但不被视为可疑。
阿德伊上周辞去教育社会学教授职务，此前数周媒体持续报道对其学术工作存在抄袭指控，并质疑他对个人经历和成就所作的一些说法。他否认抄袭，但承认自己在博士论文写作中有一些失误。
英国首相安迪·伯纳姆称这是一场悲剧，并表示此时应当反思，而不是仓促判断。阿德伊家属称，他长期遭受持续的辱骂和骚扰；围绕这些审视是否已经演变成更广泛的公开围攻，外界也存在分歧。
剑桥大学表示，已就其受聘经过展开调查，并将审视高级人员的招聘流程。该校此前曾表示，抄袭指控已由授予阿德伊博士学位的利物浦约翰·穆尔斯大学调查过。