Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who resigned from his post last week following allegations of plagiarism and questions over claims about his achievements, has been found dead in south London.Arday, 41, was found “unresponsive” at an address in Battersea on Friday afternoon, according to the Metropolitan Police. Officers were called by the London Ambulance Service and he was pronounced dead at the scene.His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers. The Metropolitan Police said his death was being treated as unexpected but was “not believed to be suspicious”.Arday resigned as Cambridge’s professor of sociology of education on August 5 after a series of questions were raised about his academic work and personal achievements. He had denied allegations of plagiarism but acknowledged errors in some of his work.In a statement announcing his resignation, Arday said the controversy had subjected him to “an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack”.“While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement,” he wrote to colleagues.“The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”Arday had been appointed to the Cambridge professorship in March 2023, becoming the university’s youngest-ever black professor. His appointment later came under scrutiny following reports questioning his academic qualifications, claims about his past achievements and allegations that parts of his PhD thesis, completed at Liverpool John Moores University, had been plagiarised.Cambridge University said it had begun an investigation after receiving “new information about Mr Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments”. Jesus College, where Arday was a fellow, also launched an investigation.Questions were also raised about claims that Arday had run 600 miles in six days and raised millions of pounds for charity.A biography published by Cambridge said Arday had been diagnosed with a form of autism spectrum disorder and was unable to speak until the age of 11 and read or write until he was 18. Those claims were also questioned by people who said they had attended school with him.Arday went on to attend college, train as a teacher and pursue an academic career before joining Cambridge.His memoir, *Great And Unfortunate Things*, is due to be published on August 27. The book’s planned release has faced calls for it to be postponed following the controversy surrounding its author.The circumstances surrounding Arday’s death have not been disclosed. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances at this stage.
