An inquest has commenced into the sudden death of Jason Arday, a Cambridge University professor who faced intense allegations of plagiarism and questions about his qualifications. Dr. Arday, aged 41, who became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, was found dead at a south London address on August 13, 2026, shortly after resigning from his position as professor of sociology of education.

The hearing took place at the London Inner South Coroner's Court, where senior coroner Dr. Julian Morris stated, "The various reports have given me reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death 12 days ago," and declared the necessity to open an investigation. Police had earlier described the death as "unexpected" but not suspicious.

Public doubts about Dr. Arday's academic credentials were raised last month by Nathan Cofnas, a former Cambridge philosophy researcher known for his critique of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Following these allegations, media reports claimed that over 100 passages from Dr. Arday's 2015 PhD thesis were "identical or near-identical" to an earlier paper by another researcher.

Dr. Arday had disclosed that he was diagnosed with autism at a young age and was unable to read or write until he was 18. The inquest opening coincides with the UK publication of his memoir, "Great and Unfortunate Things," which recounts his journey from a non-verbal, illiterate autistic child to becoming the youngest Black professor in Cambridge's history.

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