Tragedy: Ex-Cambridge Prof Jason Arday Found Dead Amidst Plagiarism Row

Former University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday, 41, has been found dead at an address in south London, police confirmed. Officers were called to an address in Battersea at approximately 3:10 PM on Friday by the London Ambulance Service, where Professor Arday was pronounced dead at the scene. The Metropolitan Police have stated that his death is being treated as "unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious." His next-of-kin have been informed and are receiving support from officers.

This tragic news follows Professor Arday's recent resignation last week from his post as a Cambridge professor of sociology of education. His resignation came amidst serious allegations of plagiarism and scrutiny over some of his professional achievements, prompting an investigation by the university into his appointment and tenure.

Professor Arday, who made history in 2023 as Cambridge's youngest black professor, had denied the plagiarism claims while acknowledging that there were "some errors" in his work. The controversy initially surfaced when US researcher Nathan Cofnas raised accusations, claiming that plagiarism detection software had identified numerous passages in Professor Arday's work that were "lifted with minimal editing," some even retaining copy-editing mistakes from their original sources. Mr. Cofnas himself had previously faced controversy, with his role at Cambridge terminated after making remarks about racial meritocracy.

A subsequent investigation conducted by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Professor Arday his PhD in 2015, did not formally uphold the plagiarism charges. However, their findings suggested that any issues were likely due to "honest errors," implying unintentional mistakes rather than deliberate academic dishonesty. Professor Arday had been a significant figure, notably carrying the Olympic Flame during the Torch Relay in London in 2012.

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