• Professor Jason Arday, who made history as Cambridge’s youngest Black professor, has reportedly died in south London.

• His family described him as an “amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son” and said they were “in shock” over his death.

• Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice expressed condolences to Arday’s family and friends following the reported death.

British-born Ghanaian academic Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, who made history as the youngest Black professor appointed by the University of Cambridge, has died.

Reports indicate that the academic was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.

According to the BBC, emergency services attended the scene after the London Ambulance Service contacted officers from the Metropolitan Police.

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Police reportedly said that Professor Arday’s death was unexpected but was not believed to be suspicious.

In a statement cited in reports about his death, the family said they were “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son”.

They also referred to the public controversy that had surrounded the academic in recent months.

The University of Cambridge has also expressed sadness over Professor Arday’s reported death. Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, offered condolences to his family and friends.

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Cambridge records show that Professor Arday was appointed Professor of Education with effect from March 2023. He was also a Fellow of Jesus College. His appointment to Cambridge in 2023 marked a significant milestone

In March that year, the university announced his appointment as Professor of Sociology of Education in its Faculty of Education.

The appointment made him the sixth Black professor at Cambridge at the time and the youngest Black professor ever appointed by the university.

His academic work focused on areas including sociology, education, race and inequality, contributing to discussions around representation and social justice.

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Before his reported death, Professor Arday had faced allegations concerning plagiarism and questions surrounding some of his academic achievements.

He denied the allegations, although he acknowledged that there had been errors in some of his work. He also described the public attention surrounding the controversy as an intense period of scrutiny and personal criticism.

Professor Arday was reported to have said that the situation had resulted in an “unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack.”

Despite the controversy, his family has maintained that he was deeply affected by what they described as a campaign of misinformation.

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His reported death has since prompted an outpouring of condolences, particularly from those connected to Cambridge and the wider academic community.

Professor Arday’s legacy includes his historic appointment at one of the world’s most prestigious universities and his contribution to conversations around education, inequality and representation.