In December 2023, Queen's University Belfast hosted the lecture The Rise and Fall of Islamic Learning Cities by Nematollah Azizi, Professor of Educational Planning (University of Kurdistan, Iran) and Leverhulme, Visiting Professor (University of Glasgow).

In the lecture, Prof Azizi explained the nature of learning culture and culturally empowered environment of learning cities in the Islamic world. He also highlighted their contribution in advancing knowledge and scholarship, how they have influenced Western cities and civilisation, and analysed why they have declined.