Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has paid tribute to former Cambridge professor Jason Arday, describing his death as a “tragedy”.
Arday, 41, who resigned from his position as professor of sociology of education after a plagiarism row, was pronounced dead at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon local time.
Scotland Yard is treating his death as unexpected but not suspicious.
Speaking to broadcasters, the Prime Minister expressed his condolences to Arday’s family and called for a “moment of reflection”.
“It’s a tragedy on so many levels, but particularly just for everybody who knew Jason, his family obviously, his friends. We think of them today.
“It’s not a moment for any rushing to judgment. It’s a moment for reflection, I would say, reflecting on how how things came to this.
“A really sad, sad and sorry state of affairs and I think we all today think of Jason, his contribution, and his family and friends.”
Arday, who was Cambridge’s youngest black professor, resigned from the faculty of education after the university launched an investigation into his academic qualifications and honorary appointments.
The university was also separately considering a number of complaints of alleged academic misconduct.
It came after the Telegraph reported that an analysis of his PhD thesis had showed that more than 180 separate passages were identical or near-identical to another student’s work.
An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University, where Arday completed the PhD, cleared him of wrongdoing, and he always denied it.
The Telegraph also reported that further questions were subsequently raised about claims he had made concerning his academic career.
Two universities denied he had been one of their visiting professors, a third denied his claim to have been an honorary professor and a fourth disputed that he had studied there. The Telegraph also reported that Arday had falsely claimed to have published a book.
In his resignation statement, Arday blamed an “unrelenting level of public scrutiny” for his decision to step down. He said the post had been “without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life”.
Arday is survived by his wife and two children. In a statement, his family paid tribute to him as a “gentle man” and an “amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son”.
“Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for the more than three years since he accepted the role of professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him,” the statement said.
“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone. We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son.”
Professor Deborah Prentice, Cambridge University’s vice-chancellor, said her “thoughts and deepest condolences” were with Arday’s family and loved ones.
She said her “immediate thoughts” were with the colleagues and students who had worked with him at the faculty of education, and at Jesus College, where he had been a fellow.
“Today, we pause to remember him, and to mourn his loss, which will be felt across the collegiate university and beyond. I hope that this painful and difficult time can also be one of compassion.
“I ask you to be mindful of your own health and wellbeing, and in the coming days, weeks and months, please know that there is a range of support available to you.”
Durham University, where Arday worked in the sociology department from 2019 to 2022, also paid tribute.
A spokesman said: “We are shocked and terribly sad to learn of the death of Jason Arday. He is remembered at Durham as a kind and warm person, who actively sought to promote opportunities for PhD students. We want to express our deepest sympathy to his family who are in our thoughts today.”
Arday grew up in south London, attending a state primary school in Battersea and a secondary school in nearby Southfields. He studied for a Btec at Merton College in Morden before going on to university.
He studied education at undergraduate and postgraduate level and completed a PhD at Liverpool John Moores University, before holding academic posts at the University of Roehampton, Durham University and the University of Glasgow, where he became professor of sociology of education.
His memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, was published in the United States this week and was due to be published by Simon & Schuster in the United Kingdom on August 27.
“Simon & Schuster is deeply saddened by the news of Jason Arday’s tragic death, and we send our condolences to his family during this devastating time,” the publisher said in a statement.
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