Description
The last year has shown that academic freedom is under threat globally and locally. The escalation of the conflict in Israel/Palestine in particular has raised issues about physical threats to individuals and institutions, threats of censorship and increases in hate speech. These threats are not unique to that conflict or that region. From Ukraine to Afghanistan to Sudan and from Belfast to Boston, academic freedom faces numerous challenges, both obvious direct threats and more subtle risks.In this conference we highlighted some of these threats and publicised the annual Scholars at Risk report Free to Think which details many examples of threats across the globe. We heard from scholars presenting perspectives, both global and local, on academic freedom and we will had the opportunity to learn more about the work of Scholars at Risk and examples of good practice in the support for the continuation of academic practice for those at risk, in exile and displaced, including that offered by the Council of At Risk Academics.
This event was organised by SAR-Ireland and supported by the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB), and the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) and INCORE at Ulster University (UU).
Speakers included:
Prof Graham Ellison (QUB)
Prof Roja Fazaeli (University of Galway)
Dr Liudmyla Fihurska (QUB)
Prof Colin Harvey (QUB)
Dr Mohammed Hassan (Essex)
Goretti Horgan (Ulster University)
Dr Tetiana Kolisnyk (QUB)
Dr Chandana Mathur (Maynooth)
Dr. Abdul Aziz Mohibbi (Maynooth)
Prof Rory O'Connell (Ulster, chair of SAR Ireland)
Prof Dina Belluigi (QUB, co-organiser)
Denise Roche (SAR Europe and Maynooth)
The conference included a Performance by Swar and Hasoun (Syria) and Conor (Ireland) of Beyond Skin and the Musicians Artists as Risk Resettlement Scheme (MARRS).
Prof Rory O'Connell (Ulster) and Prof Dina Belluigi (QUB) co-organised this event which was attended by approximately 30 academics, students and activists.
| Period | 20 Feb 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | BelfastShow on map |