Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday has been found dead in south London, just days after he resigned from the prestigious university amid a controversy over allegations of plagiarism and questions about claims made about his academic career.
Arday, 41, was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea on Friday afternoon, according to the Metropolitan Police. Emergency services were called at about 3.12pm and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police said the death was being treated as unexpected but was not considered suspicious. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers. A report is expected to be prepared for the coroner.
Arday’s death comes only nine days after he resigned from his position at Cambridge following mounting scrutiny over allegations concerning his academic work and aspects of his professional history.
Cambridge had announced an investigation into his appointment and qualifications after allegations emerged that passages in his doctoral thesis and other academic work had been copied without proper attribution. Arday acknowledged some errors but denied deliberately fabricating his achievements.
The controversy had generated intense debate within British academia, with questions also raised about claims concerning his earlier career and personal experiences. Cambridge subsequently announced an independent review of the processes surrounding his appointment.
Arday’s rise to Cambridge had previously been celebrated as an extraordinary academic success story.
Born and raised in south London to Ghanaian parents, he was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay as a child. Cambridge said he did not speak until he was 11 and did not learn to read or write until he was 18. Despite these early difficulties, he went on to obtain university qualifications and build a career researching race, inequality and education.
In March 2023, at the age of 37, he joined Cambridge as Professor of Sociology of Education. The university described him as the youngest Black person ever appointed to a professorship at Cambridge. Before that, he had held professorial positions at the University of Glasgow and Liverpool John Moores University.
His appointment attracted considerable attention because of his advocacy for greater representation of Black and other under-represented groups in higher education. His personal story, including his account of overcoming significant difficulties in childhood, also made him a prominent figure in discussions about diversity and inclusion in British universities.
His rapid rise, however, came under renewed scrutiny this year after allegations concerning his academic publications and qualifications. Cambridge launched an investigation before Arday announced his resignation earlier this month.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation. There is currently no official indication that his death was the result of suicide or any criminal act. Police have said only that it was unexpected and not considered suspicious.
