British-Ghanaian academic Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, who made history as the youngest Black professor appointed by the University of Cambridge, has reportedly died in London.
Professor Arday was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon, according to reports by the BBC.
Emergency services were called to the scene after the London Ambulance Service alerted the Metropolitan Police. Police later confirmed that the death was unexpected but said it was not being treated as suspicious.
In a statement following his death, Professor Arday’s family said they were devastated by the loss of a father, partner, brother, uncle and son.
The family also referenced what it described as a campaign of misinformation against the academic, saying the public scrutiny had taken a heavy toll on him.
“Jason was a gentle man who always wanted to see the best in everyone,” the family said.
The news has also triggered sadness within the University of Cambridge, where Professor Arday had served as Professor of Sociology of Education.
Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice expressed condolences to his family and friends, describing the news as tragic.
Professor Arday’s academic career had recently come under intense public scrutiny following allegations of plagiarism and questions surrounding some of his academic achievements. He denied allegations of plagiarism, although he acknowledged errors in some of his work.
He previously said the controversy had subjected him to what he described as an “unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack.”
Despite the controversy, his appointment to Cambridge in March 2023 marked a significant milestone. He became the sixth Black professor at the university at the time and the youngest Black professor ever appointed by the institution.
Born in the United Kingdom to Ghanaian parents, Professor Arday built an academic career around sociology, education and issues of race and inequality, becoming one of the prominent Black scholars associated with British academia.
His reported death comes at the age of [insert age if confirmed], with tributes and condolences expected to follow as investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death continue.
