Ex-Cambridge professor Jason Arday dies amid plagiarism controversy

London: Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who resigned last week amid a high-profile plagiarism scandal and allegations of racism, was found dead in south London on Friday, the university confirmed. He was 41.

Arday was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea on Friday afternoon, according to London's Metropolitan Police, which did not identify the deceased at the time.

"We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news," Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice said in a brief statement.

Arday's family criticised what they called a "campaign of harassment" following allegations about his academic work and personal life.

"The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone," the family said in a statement released through his publisher Simon & Schuster.

Police said officers were called by the London Ambulance Service "following a report that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property" in Battersea.

"Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene," police said, adding that his next-of-kin had been informed.

"At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.

"The case is being investigated by officers from the Met's Central South Command Unit. A file will be prepared for the coroner."

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was "deeply shocked (and) saddened" by the news and urged people to give his family "privacy through this incredibly difficult period (and) to remember there are real people with loved ones involved".

Arday became Cambridge's youngest black professor in 2023. The controversy erupted after academics and media reports accused him of plagiarising sections of his doctoral thesis.

The allegations were highlighted by British right-wing newspapers and commentators, who argued that Arday had benefited unfairly from diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Arday announced on August 5 that he was resigning as a professor and fellow of Jesus College, shortly after Cambridge announced probes into the allegations.

In a letter posted online, he said quitting was "the only way" to end a "difficult period", but insisted the decision should not be "mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me".

The controversy intensified after Nathan Cofnas, a US academic and self-described "race realist", published allegations against Arday in July. These included claims that sections of his doctoral dissertation had been copied from other works.

The Times and Telegraph also published investigations into Arday's academic work and personal life. Some of his claims, including that he had run 30 marathons in 35 days and raised millions for charities, were also disputed.

In an interview with The Times earlier this month, Arday admitted making academic "mistakes" but said he was being wrongly "portrayed to be a liar and a fantasist and an academic fraud".

He also described the "campaign to unseat me from my position" as "racially motivated".

The controversy divided opinion within Cambridge and the wider academic community, with some academics criticising his appointment and others publicly supporting him.

Prentice had described his alleged wrongdoing as "an aberration" and promised a thorough and transparent investigation, while warning against using the case "to cast aspersions" on other academics from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Arday's memoir, "Great and Unfortunate Things", was published in the United States this week and has also come under scrutiny.