In February 2024, the event Academic Freedom under Threat: Global and Local Perspectives organised by the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Ireland Committee took place in Queen's University. This was the first event of its kind in Northern Ireland, co-hosted by Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University. Professor Janice Carruthers, Dean of Research for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Queen's, opened the event.

Professor Carruthers remarked:

"We are determined to make Queen’s a warm and welcoming place for all in Northern Ireland, including those who, like me, have moved here from elsewhere; for those from all cultural or social backgrounds, including minorities; and for those who have come to Northern Ireland seeking sanctuary from conflict and persecution."

The event featured academic presentations, personal testimonies from academics facing threats to their academic freedom, with support from organisations like SAR, the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), and Fobzu, as well as a musical performance by a Sudanese-Irish trio.