Ghent professors challenged expertise of Jason Arday’s plagiarism accuser

An inquest has been formally opened into the death of Jason Arday, 41, a former professor at the University of Cambridge. Arday was found unresponsive by family members at his home in Battersea, south London, on August 14th, nine days after his resignation from Cambridge amid allegations of plagiarism. The coroner, Dr. Julian Morris, stated that police attended the scene and confirmed it was not suspicious, despite resuscitative efforts being unsuccessful. The inquest has been adjourned to a later date. Arday's family has condemned what they describe as a "campaign of misinformation" against him and have requested privacy.

An inquest has opened into the death of Jason Arday, a former Cambridge University professor, who was found dead in south London on August 13th. Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, had resigned his position days earlier following intense media scrutiny over plagiarism accusations and other claims about his accomplishments. The senior coroner suspects Arday died an unnatural death, prompting the investigation. Police had previously stated his death was unexpected but not suspicious. Questions about Arday's qualifications were initially raised by a former Cambridge researcher, leading to newspaper reports alleging significant portions of his PhD thesis were plagiarized. Arday denied plagiarism but admitted to some mistakes in his doctoral work. A fundraiser in his memory has raised substantial funds for his family. His memoir, detailing his life story, is set to be published.