Professor Jason Arday, In Memoriam

Professorial Chair in the Sociology of Education, Faculty of Education and a Fellow of Jesus College, University of Cambridge

Jason Arday was the 2002 Professorial Chair in the Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education and a Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Previously Jason was Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Glasgow in the School of Education College of Social Sciences.

His research focused on the areas of race and higher education, intersectionality, mental health and education, neurodiversity and cultural studies. He was open about being autistic. He gave the 3^rd Cambridge Autism Research Annual Lecture in 2024. 

He was a collaborator on the Autistic Voices Project led by the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge University, which is a survey of autistic students in higher education, to understand their support needs and whether these are being met. A future phase of this project will focus on autistic staff in higher education.

Jason was a kind, caring, gentle, and generous man, who inspired staff and students here in the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge and the wider community, and who is missed enormously as a collaborator, colleague, and friend.

Tragically, Jason died on August 14^th 2026, presumably by suicide, after experiencing both racism and excessive and disproportionate media scrutiny and criticism.

A number of Cambridge colleagues supported Jason closely throughout the 3.5 years he was in Cambridge, because of the racism he received throughout this period. Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen also tweeted on July 31^st 2026 for the media to stop attacking him given his risk of his suicide, because he is autistic, but this was ignored.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues, and to all who knew him.