Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday has been found dead, just days after resigning from his position amid a controversy over allegations of plagiarism and questions surrounding some of his academic achievements.
Arday, 41, was found “unresponsive” at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday, August 14.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police were called to the scene by the London Ambulance Service, where the academic was pronounced dead. His next of kin have been informed.
In a statement, the Met Police said: “At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.”
Arday resigned last week as Cambridge’s professor of sociology of education following allegations of plagiarism and scrutiny of some of his claimed achievements. He had denied the allegations but acknowledged errors in his academic work.
Reacting to news of his death, Cambridge University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, said: “We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news”.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time”, she said.
Before his resignation, Arday said the controversy surrounding his work had subjected him to “an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack”.
The controversy began after another academic, Nathan Cofnas, who was dismissed from his Cambridge position in 2024, alleged that he had identified several instances of plagiarism in Arday’s work and questioned some of his stated achievements.
Arday maintained that he had not plagiarised any work, while acknowledging errors in his publications.
Announcing his resignation last week, he said the “personal cost” of the intense scrutiny had become “too great”.
He said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.
“The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”
Arday also stressed that his decision to step down should not “be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me”.
His death is currently being treated by police as unexpected but not suspicious, as tributes begin to emerge following his sudden passing.
