Jason Arday: Former Cambridge university professor found dead

Jason Arday, the erstwhile University of Cambridge professor astatine the centre of a plagiarism row, has been recovered dead.

Emergency services said a man was recovered "unresponsive" astatine an reside successful Battersea, southbound London, connected Friday afternoon.

Metropolitan Police officers were called by the London Ambulance Service. A 41-year-old man was pronounced dormant astatine the segment and his adjacent of kin person been informed, the unit said.

Arday resigned arsenic a Cambridge professor of sociology of acquisition past week aft allegations of plagiarism and questions astir immoderate of his achievements. He had denied the claims.

In a statement, the Met Police said: "At this clip his decease is being treated arsenic unexpected, but is not believed to beryllium suspicious."

Cambridge University vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said: "We are desperately saddened to perceive this tragic news".

"Our heartfelt sympathies spell to Jason Arday's family and friends astatine this incredibly difficult time", she said.

Arday, 41, had denied immoderate plagiarism - but admitted errors successful his activity - and past week said the caller contention astir his activity had led to "an unrelenting level of nationalist scrutiny and individual attack".

The row first erupted aft different academic - self-defined "race realist" Nathan Cofnas, who was sacked from his Cambridge domiciled successful 2024 - said he recovered galore instances of plagiarism successful Prof Arday's activity and questioned immoderate of his stated achievements.

Arday's assignment arsenic Cambridge's youngest ever achromatic professor successful 2023 was hailed astatine the clip arsenic a progressive moment.

He said: "While disapproval is an inevitable portion of world life, what I person knowledgeable has gone acold beyond scholarly disagreement.

"The relentless accusations, speculation and nationalist commentary person taken a profound toll connected maine and connected those I love."

He stressed that his resignation should not "be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that person surrounded me".

Cambridge initially said claims of plagiarism regarding Arday's thesis and immoderate diary publications had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University (LMJU) and the journals successful question.

LJMU - which awarded Arday his PhD successful 2015 - concluded that he had not plagiarised work.

Earlier this week, Cambridge announced an independent investigation into his appointment.

In a missive to assemblage unit astatine the time, Prof Prentice said: "I afloat understand the concerns being raised crossed the assemblage and good beyond it, regarding Jason Arday's assignment and I stock them...

"That investigation, arsenic you say, should beryllium thorough and transparent, and will beryllium carried retired independently by elder academics from wrong and beyond Cambridge."