Former Cambridge Professor Dies After Plagiarism Accusations, UK PM Asks Not to Judge Too Quickly

JAKARTA - The death of former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday, after weeks of being hit by plagiarism allegations and media scrutiny, triggered a wide reaction in Britain. Prime Minister Andy Burnham asked the public not to rush to conclusions.

Arab News, quoted on Sunday, August 16, said Arday, 41, was found dead at an address in south London on Friday. Police said his death was an "unintentional" but not suspicious incident.

Arday resigned from Cambridge on August 5. Previously, he was in the media spotlight regarding allegations of plagiarism, academic qualifications, and a number of claims regarding sports achievements and fundraising.

"This is not the time to rush to conclusions. In my opinion, this is the time to reflect, think about how all this could happen," Burnham told reporters.

Arday became the youngest black professor at Cambridge in 2023. He served as a professor of educational sociology.

His family said Arday had been subjected to a "campaign of harassment" and "constant mistreatment" since taking up the post.

"The misinformation campaign is too heavy for Jason," the family said in a statement released through publisher Simon & Schuster UK.

A friend said Arday sent a voicemail on Friday saying he "didn't feel he could go on".

Cambridge professor and Autism Research Center director Simon Baron-Cohen said Arday continues to be subjected to scrutiny, ridicule, and attempts to discredit various parts of his life.

"He also struggles with the loss of his career and reputation," Baron-Cohen told the BBC, as quoted by Arab News.

The spotlight on Arday began after Nathan Cofnas, a former Cambridge philosophy researcher, questioned his qualifications. Cofnas had previously sparked protests after criticizing the university's diversity, equity, and inclusion or DEI policies.

British media then reported the alleged that more than 100 parts in Arday's doctoral thesis in 2015 "were identical or almost identical" to a paper written by another researcher first.

Arday denied plagiarizing, but admitted to making a number of mistakes while working on his doctoral program.

The spotlight then widened to a number of his personal claims, including a statement that he had raised 5.5 million pounds sterling or about 7.4 million US dollars in charity funds through various physical activities. Arday later revised the claim.

The University of Cambridge initially said the allegations of plagiarism had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday a doctorate.

However, Cambridge later opened an investigation after receiving new information regarding Arday's qualifications and honorary positions. Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice also said the university would review the recruitment process for senior staff.

After Arday died, the debate over the case became wider. Some parties considered him a victim of media hunting and racism. Others questioned Cambridge's decision when they promoted Arday to a very prominent position.

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said questions over Arday's credibility had "sparked a barrage of racism".

According to Kebede, there is a big difference between a reasonable examination and a prolonged public campaign that makes someone a symbol of the debate on DEI.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan also judged Arday to be a victim of a "dangerous public punishment".

However, former Conservative Home Secretary James Cleverly said academic institutions also had serious questions to answer.

"They put him in a position that was clearly not in line with his qualifications so that they could show off a black magical child. They pushed him into the public spotlight for their own benefit," Cleverly wrote on X.