Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday has been found dead at an address in Battersea, south London, just days after resigning from the university amid allegations of plagiarism.
Arday, 41, was found unresponsive on Friday, August 14, with emergency services called to the property shortly after 3pm. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were alerted by the London Ambulance Service at about 3:12pm. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported.
Police said Arday’s death is currently being treated as unexpected but is not believed to be suspicious. Officers from the Met’s Central South Command Unit are investigating, with a report expected to be submitted to the coroner.
The London Ambulance Service confirmed that it responded to an emergency call received at 3:06pm, sending an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic and members of its Hazardous Area Response Team.
Arday, who grew up in Battersea, had established a prominent career in higher education. He studied education before completing his PhD at Liverpool John Moores University and went on to hold academic positions at the University of Roehampton, Durham University and the University of Glasgow.
In 2021, he became professor of sociology of education at Glasgow.
He later joined Cambridge, becoming the university’s youngest-ever Black professor.
However, his time at Cambridge was recently overshadowed by allegations of plagiarism. The university announced an investigation into his appointment and tenure, as well as a wider review of its recruitment processes for senior academics.
Arday resigned as professor of sociology of education on August 5, shortly after the investigation was announced. At the time, he cited what he described as an “unrelenting level of public scrutiny”.
His death comes just days after the publication of his memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, which was released in the United States earlier this week and is scheduled for UK release on August 27.
Reacting to news of his death, Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice expressed shock and sympathy for his family and friends.
“We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news,” she said, extending the university’s condolences to those close to Arday.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, with the coroner expected to determine the next steps.
