Former Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism found dead

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Jason Arday, a British academic and former University of Cambridge professor, was found dead at a south London address on Friday, 14 August 2026, only days after resigning from his position at Cambridge. He was 41. Authorities were said to have found him unresponsive, according to British media reports cited by the outlet.

Arday had recently stepped down as a professor and fellow of Jesus College after becoming the youngest Black professor in Cambridge’s history when appointed in 2023. His resignation followed a series of investigative stories examining his academic background and personal life, along with allegations that parts of his doctoral thesis had been plagiarised. Arday had acknowledged making mistakes, but said he was unfairly being described as dishonest or an academic fraud.

The university said last week that it would continue reviewing his appointment. Separately, Arday’s memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, has recently been released in the United States and is due out in the United Kingdom later this month. Al Jazeera noted that the British publisher has said no plagiarism allegations have been made about the book. The case has drawn attention because it involves a prominent academic career, a serious misconduct controversy and a sudden death shortly after resignation.