Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday has died aged 41, days after resigning amid allegations of plagiarism and scrutiny over claims about his achievements.
Emergency services found Arday unresponsive at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday, with police saying his death was unexpected but was not considered suspicious. Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, had denied plagiarism while acknowledging errors in his academic work.
He resigned last week, saying intense public scrutiny and personal criticism had taken a heavy toll. The controversy sparked widespread national debate in the UK over academic standards, accountability and university governance.
Cambridge had recently announced an independent investigation into his appointment, while the University of Glasgow was reviewing his previous academic work.
Cambridge vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said the university was “desperately saddened” by Arday’s death and extended sympathies to his family and friends.
BREAKING: Former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday found dead.
The academic had resigned from the university last week following accusations of plagiarism
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 14, 2026
Looks like the Academic wasn’t an academic.