UK leader calls for reflection after the death of former Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism
- Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor of sociology of education, was found dead at an address in south London on Friday at age 41.
- He had resigned from Cambridge the previous week after weeks of public scrutiny over allegations of plagiarism and questions about claims in his academic and personal background.
- Police said the death was being treated as unexpected but not suspicious.
- Arday’s family said he had faced years of abuse, harassment, and a campaign of misinformation.
- Cambridge said it was reviewing the circumstances around his employment and had opened an investigation into his appointment and qualifications.
Britain’s prime minister called for reflection after Jason Arday, a former Cambridge professor who had faced plagiarism accusations, was found dead in south London on Friday. Arday had resigned from his post as professor of sociology of education the previous week after weeks of intense media scrutiny.
Police said the death was unexpected but not suspicious. Arday’s family said he had endured years of abuse and harassment, and that a campaign of misinformation had become too much for him.
Questions about Arday’s qualifications were raised publicly last month, followed by reports alleging that passages in his doctoral thesis closely matched earlier work by another researcher. British media also raised questions about some of his claims about charity fundraising and personal history, which he later revised or explained in part.
Cambridge initially defended Arday, then said it had opened an investigation after new information emerged about his qualifications and honorary appointments. The university’s vice chancellor said she was deeply saddened and that Cambridge would review how it hires senior staff.
英国领导人呼吁反思剑桥前教授在剽窃指控后去世一事
英国首相在周六呼吁人们反思。此前，曾因剽窃指控而承受压力的前剑桥大学教授贾森·阿戴于周五被发现在伦敦南部去世。阿戴在前一周已辞去剑桥大学教育社会学教授职务，此前数周一直处于密集媒体关注之下。
警方表示，死因被视为意外，但没有可疑迹象。阿戴的家人说，他多年来一直遭受虐待和骚扰，持续的误导性信息攻击最终令他难以承受。
有关阿戴资历的质疑在上个月公开出现，随后媒体报道指他的博士论文中有大量段落与他人早前作品相近。英国媒体还就他在慈善筹款和个人经历方面的一些说法提出质疑，而他后来对部分内容作出修改或解释。
剑桥大学起初为阿戴辩护，随后表示在出现其资历和荣誉头衔的新信息后已展开调查。校方副校长表示，她对此深感悲痛，学校也将审查高级人员的招聘程序。