Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Dies at 41

British academic Jason Arday, who resigned from the University of Cambridge last week amid a plagiarism controversy, was found dead in south London on Friday (August 14, 2026), according to U.K. media reports.

Arday, 41, was found unresponsive at an address in the Battersea neighbourhood on Friday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to the property after reports of an unresponsive man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

Police said that at this time the death is being treated as unexpected but is not believed to be suspicious. A file will be prepared for the coroner. The police statement did not name the deceased, but several media outlets confirmed that it was Arday.

Arday had become Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, a landmark appointment that made him a prominent figure in British academia. He resigned from his university positions on August 5, shortly after the university announced an inquiry into allegations that parts of his doctoral thesis had been plagiarised.

The allegations were made by some academics and amplified by right-wing media and commentators, who claimed that Arday had unfairly benefited from diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) policies. In response, supporters and fellow academics argued that the campaign against him was steeped in racial prejudice and that his achievements were being unfairly diminished.

In a letter posted online after his resignation, Arday said stepping down was “the only way” to bring an end to a “difficult period.” He insisted, however, that his decision “should not be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.”

The university's vice-chancellor had earlier this week described the alleged wrongdoing as “an aberration” and promised a thorough investigation. He also cautioned 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 on Thursday (August 13), one day before his death. The book, which had also attracted scrutiny, was scheduled for release in Britain later this month.

The circumstances of Arday's death will be examined by the coroner. The Metropolitan Police's Central South Command Unit is investigating the case.