Room for Discussion: Recent Episodes
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Room for Discussion is the interviewplatform of the University of Amsterdam. Every week we interview experts in the fields of politics and economics.
Grocery prices are increasing, Meta flaunts its dominant position on the market, and the Paramount acquisition of WarnerBros marks an era of massive media consolidation. It seems that companies hold all the power, but who can hold them accountable?Join us on 20th of May, 13:00-14:00 at the REC E-Hall for an interview with Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). We will zoom in on consumer protection, discuss how to regulate without stifling innovation, the political implications of regulatory policy, and look at ongoing cases currently handled by the ACM.Whether an avid shopper or a competition policy enthusiast, do not miss the chance to understand what is done to protect your consumer rights!
Few academic concepts have travelled as far as intersectionality. Coined nearly four decades ago, it transformed how we think about race, gender, power, and inequality, while also becoming one of the most debated ideas of our time.
We were thrilled to welcome Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar, author of Backtalker: An American Memoir, co-founder of Critical Race Theory, and the person behind intersectionality.
Drawing on both her personal journey and decades of academic work, we explore the origins of intersectionality, the backlash against Critical Race Theory and what the ongoing debates around race, identity and democracy reveal about the United States and Europe today.
Palestine, Sudan, Iran. Global conflicts dominate the headlines every day. But what does it actually take to build lasting peace? And who gets to decide what that peace looks like?
Together with Paige Alexander, the CEO of the Carter Center, we explore the role of the international community in conflict resolution, democracy promotion, and the politics of peacebuilding. Founded by former US President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter to advance human rights worldwide, the Carter Center is now active in peace and development efforts across the globe.
Drawing on decades of experience, Alexander will discuss how peace is negotiated, how local communities shape outcomes, and what it would take to achieve lasting peace in Palestine.
With war at its doorstep, Türkiye is once again in the middle of geopolitical turmoil. Whether it’s the Syrian refugee crisis, the war in Gaza, or the closure of the strait of Hormuz, Türkiye has had to consistently re-balance and re-negotiate its partnerships.
Turkish Ambassador H.E. Fatma Ceren Yazgan will join us to talk about how Türkiye does this in practice. With a long career as a high ranking diplomat and civil servant, she offers firsthand experience into the complexities of Turkish politics.
Germany has been Europe’s economic engine for quite some time, both its industrial powerhouse and fiscal anchor in times of deep uncertainty. While Southern Europe suffered deep recessions during the Eurocrisis, Germany maintained low unemployment and a massive trade surplus. After 5 years of economic stagnation induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, that role is now under strain.
In a conversation with Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research, we examine whether Germany can still fulfill that role or whether structural pressures are permanently reshaping its role within Europe. As its export-driven model comes under strain and fiscal constraints limit large-scale investment, a key question emerges: Will Germany continue to be the economic engine Europe can look up to?
The relationship between the Netherlands and South Africa stretches back centuries, shaped by both painful history and meaningful cooperation. It includes dark chapters, such as the Netherlands’ role in using South Africa as part of the slave trade, but also moments of solidarity, including the Netherlands’ early opposition to apartheid and its current position as one of South Africa’s key economic partners.
To explore this complex and evolving relationship, we will be joined by Joanne Doornewaard. As an experienced diplomat, she will help unpack the history, tensions, and opportunities that continue to define this important partnership.
How have Dutch interests in South Africa changed over time? What do South Africa’s alignments within BRICS mean for the future of bilateral relations? And in an increasingly transactional geopolitical landscape, what would it take to build a relationship that is genuinely cooperative?
Join us on 6 May at the E-Hall for a timely conversation on the past, present, and future of Dutch–South African relations.
What happens when wealth does not just buy comfort, but an entirely different reality? When power does not mean responsibility anymore, but the option to escape all consequences? When ambition turns into status anxiety?
From rural China to billionaire bunkers, Evan Osnos gets up close to people, telling bigger stories through human details. These stories trace how pursuit, aspiration and prosperity evolve in radically different systems at a time of widening inequality and political shifts.
The New Yorker journalist and author Evan Osnos will discuss with us the intersection of ambition, power and inequality in the E-Hall on Tuesday, April 13th, from 13:00-14:00.
While the way we live has changed a lot in the last few years, the way we learn has remained largely the same. Our education systems have stagnated, relying on inflexible grading systems and standardized tests, as they need to conform to the demands of the job market. Is now the time for academia to adapt and implement a more holistic approach to learning?
Professor Lars Strannegård, president of the Stockholm School of Economics and author of Senses of Knowing: A Celebration of the Pursuit of Knowledge, argues that it is. He has long advocated for a change in the way we are educated. Instead of receiving a highly specialised ‘training’, he argues that education should be understood as ‘cultivation’, striving to shape well-rounded and responsible citizens equipped to face an increasingly complex world.
Join Professor Strannegård and us to explore how incorporating the arts & humanities into other disciplines can foster critical thinking and prepare our educational systems for the age of AI.
What does it mean when the United States bombs a neighboring country, seizes its president, and flies him to New York to face criminal charges? Days into 2026, US forces launched a dramatic operation in Venezuela, bombing targets in Caracas and capturing President Nicolás Maduro. Such flagrant violations of sovereignty and international law beget the questions: why does the US act this way in the Americas? And what is the history of intervention that makes this seem possible?
From Venezuela to Cuba and beyond, we’ll be discussing the Americas’ interdependence with Aviva Chomsky, professor of history and Latin American Studies. Having been active in the Latin American solidarity and immigrants’ rights movements for decades, she’ll be unpacking the myths of open markets and closed borders, and how interventions continue to shape national histories in the region.
Join us for a conversation about the asymmetric interdependence between the US and Latin America!
Europe is entering a period of growing fragmentation. Rising defence pressures, economic stagnation, and geopolitical dependence are colliding at a moment when the European Union appears increasingly unable to act collectively.
We welcome Marco Buti, former Director General for Economic and Financial Affairs at the European Commission and one of the key figures behind Europe’s response to the Eurozone crisis.
In this discussion, we discuss the future of the European project; from austerity and common debt to defense spending, industrial policy, and the growing tension between national interests and collective European action.
🫵Student well-being, collaborations with other countries and affordability of education. These are all issues in which the Central Student Council, the CSR, has influence over decisions made by the UvA which have tangible effects on the daily life of all students.Vote here: https://uva.digitaleverkiezing.nl/🗳️To make your voice heard and shape those decisions, you should cast your vote in the upcoming elections to the CSR and to the faculty student councils! The digital ballot boxes are open between the 11th to the 16th of May.💡There is no better place to inform yourself about the positions of the parties than the annual CSR debate, hosted by Room for Discussion. The four biggest parties are going to join us; Activistenpartij, De Vrije Student UvA Sociaal, and INTER. If you are unsure of who to vote for, this is the perfect opportunity to inform yourself.🙋There will be a lot of time for questions from the audience. Come to ask your questions and engage with student politics!The debate took place on Monday, 11th of May 2026.---------------------------------Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here: Website: http://roomfordiscussion.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/RoomforDiscussion** Instagram***: https://www.instagram.com/roomfordiscussion * Twitter: http://twitter.com/Room4Discussion
❗️On11th of May, Christian Schmidt announced that he will step down as High Representative for Bosnia and Hercegovina as soon as his successor is found. This interview took place on Wednesday, April 22nd at Roeterseiland Campus
Thirty years after the end of one of Europe's bloodiest post-Cold War conflicts, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains caught between promise and paralysis. Ethnic power-sharing is deadlocked, a separatist leader backed by Moscow, an EU membership prospect nobody believes in, and over a million young people who have already left.
🧑⚖️ At the centre of it all stands the High Representative Christian Schmidt, the most powerful figure in Bosnia, with sweeping authority to impose laws and dismiss officials - elected not by the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina but by a foreign entity.
🕊️ Is Bosnia a success story of international peacebuilding or a tale of what happens with too much foreign influence? And what does it reveal about the competing spheres of influence of the West and Russia?
We explore these questions with none other than the current High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina himself, Christian Schmidt.
Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here:
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Human exceptionalism, the idea that humans are intellectually, morally and socially superior to other lifeforms on this planet, is so fundamental that we barely recognise that it is there.
Dr. Christine Webb is assistant professor of environmental studies at New York University and Author of recently published The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters and lecturer of a course at Harvard University of the same name.
In this discussion, we examine the myriad of scientific and philosophical findings that challenge the human superiority complex, how our relationship to other living beings can be reframed, and what we stand to gain from stepping out of our preconceived notions on plant and animal intelligence.
“The billionaires’ nightmare”, “Rockstar Economist”, or “far-left activist”, Professor Gabriel Zucman goes by many names.With Elon Musk on his way to reaching trillionaire status, public debt accelerating, and far-right parties threatening democratic institutions, a consensus is emerging that economic inequality is reaching excessive levels. The most important question now becomes not why, but how we tax the rich.Zucman is one of the world's foremost experts on economic inequality, tax havens and wealth taxation. Having picked up the torch from his colleague Thomas Piketty, he is increasingly the face of a French and global movement for taxation of the tax-avoiding ultra-wealthy and multinational corporations.
We are living through a collision of overlapping crises: an increasing cost-of-living, climate change and a deepening state of political disillusionment. While these issues are often treated as isolated government failures, our next guest argues that they share a single, predatory origin: the Global Casino, commonly known as the international financial market.We were thrilled to welcome Ann Pettifor, the political economist who famously predicted the 2007/08 crash. Drawing on findings from her major works, The Case for a Green New Deal and The Global Casino, we will tell the story of the "top dogs" of finance and the "pretend-powerless" governments that gamble away at the Casino table.
Fifteen years on from the Eurozone crisis, with surging public debt, increasing climate risks, rising geopolitical tensions, and a constant need for monetary injections, the need for change in Europe has never been more obvious. But how do we get there? Is more or less integration the answer that we need?Can a monetary union survive without a fiscal one and if not, who is there to bear its cost?As the transatlantic relationship weakens and Europe navigates an increasingly multipolar world, economic questions collide with geopolitical realities. Is federalisation the price of relevance, or an unrealistic ambition in a union marked by divergent interests, asymmetric shocks, and rising euro-skepticism?To give some sense to these pressing questions, we are joined by one of the most prominent and uncompromising critics of European monetary and fiscal designs, Hans-Werner Sinn. Drawing on his role in the debates surrounding the eurozone crisis, and his opposition to key ECB policies, he will offer a candid assessment of what has changed, what has not, and what lies ahead.
Myanmar remains one of the world’s most repressive states. Political prisoners fill its jails, civil freedoms are crushed, and the military junta presses ahead with sham elections while defending itself at the International Court of Justice. What responsibilities do foreign governments and businesses realistically pursue in such a context? Who is tasked with upholding international human rights standards, and what happens when those individuals themselves become targets?Join us for a compelling conversation with Vicky Bowman, former UK Ambassador to Myanmar and Director of the now closed Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business. Drawing on her experience as a diplomat, business adviser, and former political prisoner of the junta, Bowman offers rare, firsthand insight into the real cost of defending human rights under authoritarian rule.As Myanmar faces an uncertain future with no clear path to democracy or peace, this is a timely and urgent discussion on power, accountability, and the consequences of resistance.
Without formal recognition from the Netherlands, the Palestinian Mission is forced to rely on law, institutions, and words in a political landscape where others wield hard power. These constraints shape every aspect of how Palestine is represented internationally, even amidst what the UNHRC classifies as a genocide. Together with Ambassador Ammar Hijazi (Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to International Organizations in The Hague), we explore what it means to represent Palestine today. How can legal arguments compete with political and military power? What does negotiation look like under such conditions? Where does diplomacy reach its limits? And, what will the future of Palestine look like?This interview is organized in collaboration with the Arab Student Association Amsterdam.
What does it mean to grow up in a war?On the 20th October, from 13:00 to 14:00 in the E-Hall, Room for Discussion will host Kyrylo Lapko, Head of Reintegration and International Relations at the Coordination Center for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development in Ukraine.As the war continues, thousands of Ukrainian children have been separated from their families, displaced, or abducted by Russian forces. Kyrylo Lapko works on the front line of bringing these children home and helping them rebuild their lives.In this interview, we will discuss the realities of childhood in wartime Ukraine. How are children taken, and how can they be brought back? What does recovery look like after such trauma? And what gives hope for the future of a generation growing up amid conflict?Join us for an emotional conversation about the lived experiences of Ukrainian children!
As global tensions sharpen, the world is asking whether a new great power rivalry is emerging, with China at the center of attention. Understanding its direction has never been more urgent.Join us for a focused conversation tracing the forces behind China’s rise: the legacy of the century of humiliation, Deng Xiaoping’s bold reforms, shifting Party ideology, and Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power. We will connect these turning points to the strategic choices China is making today.We also look ahead to China’s long term ambitions, its search for alternatives to the Western led international order, and the pressures it faces from trade frictions to demographic change. Join us and discover the key trends and pressures driving China’s future direction!
When the CDA and governments were falling apart, Marnix van Rij was called back to bring calm to the chaos. Most people told him not to do it. He did it anyway. Not because it was easy, but because as he says, “someone has to stay optimistic.”With the release of his new book ‘Reflections of a Political Optimist’, Van Rij shares his visions on leadership, responsibility, and finances to stay hopeful. Even in his role as Member of the Executive Board at the IMF, his name remains relevant in the Netherlands. However, how many times can one man be called in to save a party – and a country – before optimism runs out?
Increased inequality, crumbling welfare services and skyrocketing rents. What has happened to the welfare state? And can it survive our decreasing taxpayer bases and ageing populations?Joining us on the Room for Discussion stage to discuss these questions, is one of the world's leading analysts of the welfare state, Professor Emeritus in Sociology of Pompeu Fabra and Bocconi University - Gøsta Esping-Andersen. His work focuses on the topic of welfare capitalism and his most known book “The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism” has helped shape the discipline as we know it today. Later in his career he relates his welfare studies to demographic issues such as the role of women and trends in fertility rates.Touching on topics such as wealth disparities, economic growth and “welfare-chauvinism”, this interview will help us understand dimensions of social inequality in the current political landscape. After a lifetime of studying these topics, where does he think we are headed? Don’t miss this opportunity to ask your questions to one of the world's leading scholars on welfare systems!
Join us as we welcome Anahit Galtsyan, a Principal Scientist at BASF, to the Room for Discussion stage. Her work brings together the science of genomics with the realities of innovation in a global company, offering a unique perspective on how research develops in practice and how the people behind the science shape its direction.In this interview, we will explore the role of diversity in scientific progress and discuss the opportunities and obstacles facing researchers today. The conversation will touch on the broader dynamics of STEM and academia, from the ways institutions foster knowledge creation to the challenges that can stand in the way of inclusion and collaboration.
Is Europe saving wisely, or simply doing too little, too late?With defence costs rising, growth slowing, and the green transition underway, the debate on how Europe spends or saves has never been more urgent. Should the EU expand joint borrowing to meet global challenges, or double down on national discipline?We’ll ask where prudence ends and under-investment begins, and how the Netherlands can remain competitive while holding firm to its frugal ideals.
Amsterdam turned 750 this year and stands at a crossroads. Prosperity has made it one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals, but also one of its most strained. Housing, tourism, and social divides test the city’s fabric, while national politics and budget cuts tighten the pressure from above.Join Mayor Femke Halsema in conversation with Room for Discussion as we explore how she navigates a city under pressure. How can Amsterdam remain free, diverse, and liveable in times of growing tension?
With the elections in mind, this interview focuses on planning: priorities for affordable housing, European cooperation, and the SP's security policy. Will the SP succeed in governing for the first time?
Op 29 oktober gaat Nederland naar de stembus, zo ook de 30.000 stemgerechtigde UvA-studenten.
Daarom ontvangen we op 9 oktober Ines Kostić, Tweede Kamerlid van de Partij voor de Dieren.
️Met het oog op de verkiezingen gaan we langs onderwerpen zoals dierenwelzijn, wonen, defensie, moreel leiderschap en verantwoordelijkheid.
️Zoals altijd bij Room for Discussion kunnen studenten tijdens het gesprek hun vragen rechtstreeks stellen; daar besteden we in deze serie extra aandacht aan.
Why did the centre of power shift across the world throughout human history, and why did it settle in the West after the 18th century? Did wars only serve to create a winner and a loser, or did they help spur the developments necessary for the safer, richer societies we enjoy today?
Historian Ian Morris, author of War! What is It Good for? And Why the West Rules–For Now, argues that geography and technology, not culture or genius, explain the shifting balance of power between East and West. Contrary to common notions of war as a destructive force, he demonstrates how violence has paradoxically built the large, stable states that made peace possible. In an age of shifting geopolitical realities, Morris’ extensive analysis of our past poignantly demonstrates how history can help us grasp the present.
On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague, Room for Discussion will host an exclusive morning interview with former Dutch Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren.
With war on Europe’s doorstep, uncertainty in Washington, and rising ambitions for European defense, NATO stands at a crossroads. How will the Alliance respond to today’s geopolitical shocks? What will Europe’s role be in shaping tomorrow’s security order? Can transatlantic unity hold in an era of shifting power?
From behind closed doors to the frontlines of European policy, Kajsa Ollongren brings a unique perspective on the debates now shaping the future of NATO—and Europe itself.
This event is part of the “NATO in the Huis”, a series of side events coordinated by the Clingendael Institute and Munich Security Conference on the sidelines of the NATO Summit 2025 in The Hague.
Join us for an exclusive interview with Alle Dorhout, the Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine and former Director of Intelligence at the AIVD. With valuable insights into the intersection of diplomacy and intelligence, Alle offers a firsthand perspective on navigating the complex political landscape during the war in Ukraine.
In this conversation, we dive deep into the history of the conflict, explore how it is leveraged in diplomacy, and discuss how intelligence can shape more informed decisions. With the shifting geopolitical landscape and the U.S. distancing itself from former allies, we ask the critical questions that every diplomat faces today.
CSR Election Debate - University of Amsterdam
From looming budget cuts in higher education to government directives on de-internationalisation, from defending the right to protest to safeguarding the mental well-being of students – this year, the university faces major decisions that will shape its future.
In the midst of these challenges, the Central Student Council (CSR) plays a crucial role. As the highest student representative body at the UvA, the CSR has the power to influence university policy, push for change, and protect student interests.
Join us for the CSR Election Debate: an open, critical conversation between student candidates on the issues that matter most.
This is your chance to hear how they plan to represent you and to ask questions, so that you can make an informed vote in shaping the university’s direction.
As cyberattacks grow in scale and sophistication, the lines between cybercrime, state-sponsored hacking, and digital warfare are becoming increasingly blurred. How can we protect individuals, and democratic institutions from the rising tide of cyber threats? Who should be held accountable for cyberattacks, and how can the international community step up its game?
Join us for a conversation with Stéphan Duguin, CEO of the CyberPeace Institute, an organization dedicated to reducing the harm caused by cyber threats and promoting accountability in cyberspace. We will dive into why the issue of cybersecurity demands immediate action, what the geopolitical and human implications of cyberattacks are, and explore what needs to be done to secure a safer digital future for everyone.
When the newspapers are full of horrifying stories, international law sometimes feels impotent. Why is it still important? In what way is the term “genocide” political? Is our international system failing if world powers don’t subscribe to it? And why would we need a fifth international crime of “Ecocide”? Philippe Sands is a specialist in international law, with over 40 years of experience in advocating for justice in front of the world’s most significant courts, such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Most importantly, Sands does not just practice international law; he tells its story.
On the 9th of April, 13:00-14:00, in the E-Hall, Room for Discussion welcomed Steve Keen – outspoken critic of mainstream economics, author of “The New Economics: A Manifesto”, and one of today’s most rebellious economic thinkers.
Keen has made it his mission to dismantle the neoclassical foundations of the discipline. With climate collapse accelerating, inequality deepening, and debt-driven crises recurring, he claims our economic orthodoxy is not just wrong, but dangerous. From his emphasis on non-equilibrium dynamic modelling to jabs at Nobel laureates, such as William Nordhaus, Keen’s ideas challenge not only the economics profession, but how we imagine the future of society. Expect controversy, polemics, and ultimately a discussion on how Steve Keen would model our world. Is this the future of economics, or a detour into chaos?
New York City was once just a small Dutch outpost called New Amsterdam. How did a modest trading colony become the global icon it is today?
Join us for a deep dive with acclaimed historian Russell Shorto, who has spent decades uncovering the Dutch origins of America’s financial and cultural capital.
From Manhattan’s first skyscrapers to Wall Street’s earliest deals, we’ll connect the dots between the city’s 17th-century Dutch DNA and its modern identity. Is today’s New York still carrying the legacy of its founding ideals, or has it evolved into something entirely different?
How can the UN uphold its humanitarian mission in an increasingly polarized world? Has it ever truly fulfilled its purpose of protecting human rights, and what role does diplomacy play as global tensions rise?
Join us for a hybrid conversation with Jan Eliasson, former UN Deputy Secretary-General and President of the General Assembly, drawing on a lifetime of diplomacy and mediation.
Eliasson will share insights on the key skills for successful mediation, the importance of bridging geopolitical divides, and how the international system must evolve to meet 21st-century challenges.
Martin Wolf is one of the most prominent voices in the world of politics and economics of our times. In an era of inequality, political polarisation, and global power shifts, he asks the uncomfortable questions: Has capitalism betrayed democracy? Is rising authoritarianism a failure of the market—or the system itself? And most importantly, can we turn the tide before it’s too late?
Room for Discussion is proud to announce a new interview series.
❗Disclaimer: Room for Discussion is a journalistic student-led interview platform which encourages open dialogue and the sharing of diverse perspectives. The opinions expressed by individual guests and audience members in our interviews are solely their own and do not reflect the views, opinions, or positions of Room for Discussion.
How does Israeli society relate to the current war? How is history narrated in the Middle East? Is communication between Israelis and Palestinians possible? How?
Yossi Klein Halevi is an Israeli-American writer and journalist. He wrote award-winning books, including “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor”, a book aiming to initiate dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
Join us for a powerful discussion with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian opposition and a global symbol of the fight for democracy.
We'll delve into her journey from presidential candidate to exile, the ongoing struggle against authoritarianism in Belarus, and the challenges of rallying international support for democratic change. Gain unique insights into the resilience of the Belarusian people and the path forward for freedom and human rights in the region.
Ever wondered how €186 billion in EU spending is scrutinized to ensure every euro counts?
On 14th January, from 13:00 to 14:00, at the REC E-Hall, we’ll dive into the world of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) with its President, Tony Murphy.
As the leader of the EU’s financial watchdog, Murphy ensures that the Union’s finances are transparent, efficient, and accountable—essential for addressing the generational challenges Europe faces today.
From ensuring Europe’s preparedness for cyberattacks and natural disasters to scrutinizing ambitious climate initiatives, Murphy’s work goes beyond mere numbers. He’ll share how the ECA tackles some of the EU’s biggest questions: are the ambitious 2030 climate goals achievable, or are they lofty aspirations? Can Europe maintain its competitive edge in a global economy dominated by the US and China? And how does the ECA ensure every euro spent reflects the Union’s values?
This is your opportunity to see beyond the spreadsheets and gain insight into how audits shape Europe’s future.
The way events unfolded on our platform today once again is deeply unfortunate.
While we believe that protest is an integral part of a democratic society, we are dissapointed that the way it was carried out today hindered a free exchange of ideas. We are a platform run by students, for students which always strives to create a democratic environment, in which different perspectives and criticisms are valuable additions.
We remain committed to our mission to contribute to societal conversations and foster the open dialogue we so strongly believe in.
Join us in a wide-ranging conversation with Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, Ruben Brekelmans, to understand why migration and energy can be framed as security priorities and how defence policy can be strengthened through European industrial integration.
We’ll wrestle with questions like the tensions between pragmatism and principles to how a future with a more transactional transatlantic relationship might influence potential negotiations to the end of the war in Ukraine as well as the broader European security landscape.
Room for Discussion is honoured to welcome Karel Hendriks.
He has worked with Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) for over a decade and is now the Deputy General of the organisation and the Director of the Dutch branch, providing immediate life-saving care for people in conflict zones, natural disasters and epidemics.
What is the meaning of assistance provided by medical humanitarian organisations? What are the main challenges faced by aid workers today? How do they remain neutral in conflict zones? What is the responsibility of doctors on and beyond the frontlines? How can aid help sustain local healthcare systems?
For answers to these questions and more, make sure to check out our new interview.
Is wealth inequality the defining economic issue of our time? How has quantitative easing deepened the divide between the rich and the poor? What can be done to fix a broken economic system?
Gary Stevenson, former Citibank trader turned economic activist, predicted the widening inequality post-2008 crisis and has been a vocal advocate for economic reform ever since. With his unique insights from inside the financial world, Gary will discuss how current economic policies are fueling inequality, the consequences of a rising housing market, and what we can do to bring about a more equitable future.
How to make finance a force for sustainability? Are there enough incentives in our system to balance short-term profits and the protection of the environment? And what is the role of PwC and Rabo Carbon Bank in shaping the discussion on sustainable growth?Our guest has been at the center of discussions about green finance for her entire career. From academia through commercial and central banking to consulting, Barbara Baarsma has been looking for an answer to how to shape the future of our system for the benefit of our environment. Whether you’re interested in finance, climate action, or just looking for inspiration from someone breaking boundaries, this is your chance to hear first-hand insights. Get ready for a conversation that’s not just about money but about what really matters.
Room for Discussion is honoured to welcome Guy Standing, a British Labour economist, co-founder of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) and professor of Development Studies at the University of London.
It will be a conversation offering insights into the changing dynamics of work, inequality, and social justice in today’s world.
Is neoliberalism fundamentally shortsighted? What is the ‘precariat’ class and how does it gain significance in today’s political landscape? How can we create a fairer and more inclusive economy? Is Universal Basic Income the answer to poverty and automation?
In order to get answers to all of these questions, make sure to check out our new interview.
What role does morality play in communication? How are moral messages cognitively processed, how are they represented in the neural realm, and in what way do they motivate behavior? For our first episode of 'The Ivory Tower', we will be speaking to Dr. Frederic Hopp. Frederic is Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam's School of Communication Research.
During this episode we discuss an article that was recently published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. We break down its method and theoretical foundation, explore avenues for future research, and Frederic tells us a bit about his formation as an academic.
The link to the paper: 'Moral foundations elicit shared and dissociable cortical activation modulated by political ideology'.
More about Frederic: https://fhopp.github.io
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What do the Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, and Johan Cruijff have in common? All have them have been interviewed by Twan Huys, the most prominent interviewer and journalist in the Netherlands. He has seen the political and social environment change tremendously over the last decades and has talked to some of the most prominent makers and shakers of our current world to make sense of it.
Room for Discussion is thrilled to welcome Twan Huys, host of College Tour and Buitenhof. He has interviewed countless of famous guest, held Dutch politicians accountable and shaped the public debate in The Netherlands like no one else. Now he is here to share his perspective on how the public climate has changed and where we go from here. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!
In 1969 the Dutch security services opened a file on a 17 year old boy. His name was Derk Sauer. Later he founded his own publishing firm with Crown Jewel the Moscow Times, and to this day one of the few independent russian media outlets. The question now is: How will independent Russian media survive?
Geert Wilders’ PVV recent election win is the latest addition to a trend of far-right populists winning big elections. Spanning from Argentina with Javier Melei to Italy with Giorgia Meloni, the Far Right seems to be on rise.
There is no one better to talk about these events than Cas Mudde, the preeminent scholar on populism and the Far Right.
Room for Discussion is excited to announce our interview with political jack-of-all-trades, Dutch top diplomat Tom de Bruijn.
Having worked as a diplomat, ambassador, government official, minister, and mayor for decades – his extensive experience in navigating politics at a variety of levels from guiding the formation of EU treaties to negotiating the formation of municipal councils informs his broad view on the inner workings of government and diplomacy. Throughout, he has gained a unique view on the role of the Netherlands within the European Union and the broader Euro-Atlantic community, with his career taking him from the Hague to Brussels and Geneva.
Looking back, what does he expect the future of the European Union to look like? How does the Netherlands fit into this with the recent victory of eurosceptic Geert Wilders? How much has changed for the Dutch appetite for increased EU accession since de Bruijn was involved in drafting the 2014 association agreement with Ukraine?
If you’re interested to discover the answer to these questions and more check out our interview!
What does BMW and the Nazi regime have in common? In what ways is the generational wealth of former Nazi supporters connected to contemporary German politics? How have Nazi Billionaires escaped accountability? Investigative Journalist David de Jong spent four years researching the history of Germany’s wealthiest families. In his book ‘Nazi Billionaires’, he explores 5 families, their hidden hand in Germany’s dark past, and their continued presence in contemporary politics.
What do you think of global governance’s failure to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement? What do you think of the court decision that ordered Shell to reduce all emissions by 45% by 2030?
And if we live in a world where the Dutch government spends €37.5 billion on fossil subsidies on a yearly basis, does this mean that we need more Climate Activism? And if so, in which way?
On October 11th (13:00-14:00) Room for Discussion will interview Donald Pols, the director of Milieudefensie. Notorious for their court case against Shell, their research on fossil subsidies and their efforts to “hijack” the shareholder meetings of large multinationals, Milieudefensie has been leading the forefront of climate activism.
Join this conversation in which we discuss a roadmap for Climate action and activism.
Beyond the Negotiating Table: An expert’s View on Diplomacy.
Kees van Rij is one of the Netherland’s most trusted diplomats, having held ambassadorships in Greece, Turkey, Spain and Brazil. From negotiating with dictators like Vladimir Putin, Muammar Gaddafi or Kim Jong-un to helping craft EU policy, Kees van Rij has been trusted with many of the major diplomatic issues over the past decades.
He will share with us his many experiences and try to answer all our questions concerning diplomacy.
Eurojust, is a prominent legal agency at the forefront of the fight against transnational crime in Europe. From combating organised crime to terrorism, Eurojust is involved in resolving a wide range of cross-border conflicts.
To discuss the intricacies of Eurojust’s operations and the significant role it plays in ensuring cross-border justice, we will be joined by Ladislav Hamran, the President of Eurojust. What strategies does Eurojust employ? How is cooperation between member states achieved? How is law and justice changing in our evolving society?
Currently, Tata Steel NL is the biggest emitter of CO2 and nitrogen in the Netherlands, and links have been made between their factory’s emissions and higher-than-average cancer rates in communities that live close to their factories. As a response, the company is planning to detox their emissions and pivot to Green Steel production, which they will power with green hydrogen. Still, the future of the company in the Netherlands remains far from certain, and they are facing backlash from many directions in Dutch society.
Climate change is one of the most defining challenges of our time, but what’s really the best way to tackle the issue and create a more sustainable future for all?
Bjørn Lomborg’s has an answer: an alternative that challenges the mainstream narrative on climate change, which has earned him both praise and criticism. He tries to address the critical trade-offs between climate, sustainability, and welfare that we will need to make in the 21st century. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with an influential voice in this important discussion about what the future of our fight against climate change should be!
Bjørn Lomborg will join for an interview at Room for Discussion on May 10th, 13-14h in the E-Hall
Tom Middendorp werd uitgezonden naar Somalië en verwachtte daar te moeten strijden tegen nietsontziende piraten. Het bleken wanhopige vissers die door klimaatverandering steeds minder inkomsten hebben. In Afghanistan zag hij met eigen ogen hoe de taliban waterschaarste inzette als machtsmiddel. Daarom besloot hij na zijn aftreden als commandant der strijdkrachten zich te verdiepen in het klimaatprobleem en de veiligheidsrisico's die deze met zich meebrengt. Inmiddels ziet hij de smeltende ijskappen van de Noordpool als het volgende potentiële oorlogsgebied.
Julian Assange. Salman Rushdie. Mike Tyson. Lula da Silva. The Wall Street Journal. The New York Times.
What do all these have in common? They were defended by Geoffrey Robertson KC.
He helped prosecute warlords and dictators like General Pinochet, was the President of the War Crimes Court in Sierra Leone, and fought for human rights everywhere from Armenia to Yugoslavia, Colombia to Czechoslovakia, South Africa to South London.
He founded one of the world’s leading human rights law chambers working with the likes of Kier Starmer and Amal Clooney.
From bitter football rivalries to beer preferences, the Dutch and Germans have a long and complicated history. As a Dutchman living and working in Germany, Ambassador Ronald van Roeden knows firsthand about the stereotypes and cliches that surround these two countries. In our interview, he shares his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing these two countries in a changing geopolitical landscape.
Ingrid Thijssen is the chair of the Dutch Employers lobby, VNO NCW. She has been called the ‘most powerful lobbyist’ in the Netherlands. On behalf of the Dutch Businesses, she has been warning about the business climate of Holland. According to her, this is deteriorating to a point at which many companies are contemplating leaving the Netherlands.
Ms. Thijssens career started in NS public transport, where she climbed the corporate ladder to CEO. After 21 years, she moved on to and became CEO of Alliander. She was the Top businesswoman of the year in 2016.
Ernst Kuipers became a household name during the pandemic: a wise former doctor who helped guide the medical response to COVID-19. Now, he’s no longer just a medical expert: he’s a D66 politician.
The Red Cross is the World’s largest humanitarian network organisation working on helping people in need during emergencies, conflicts and disasters. When we watch the news we see crisis after crisis unfold, the Red Cross is often the organisation working at the scene to help those who need help the most. From emergency response to war aftercare and victim support, the Red Cross does it all.
In this interview we will look at how the Red Cross NL chooses their cases, how they prepare for emergencies and how they help those who need their help.
[Audio is choppy only in the first few minutes, after that it gets better] What is a Status Game? How do people react and cope with losing status games? And how do we win the Status Game? Find this out and much more in our interview with Will Storr!
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Many spent more time on one than with their friends or family. You are probably reading this from one. Smartphones have become an irreplaceable part of our daily life. The production however often involves complex supply chains spanning continents, conflict materials, and child and slave labour in the Congo or China. But change is in your hands!
Join us for a discussion about ethical and sustainable sourcing of conflict materials and production of smartphones with the CEO of Fairphone, Eva Gouwens. The Amsterdam based phone manufacturer is set to make a difference under the motto “change is in your hands”.
5 years after the closure of the Yugoslavia tribunal, has it achieved its aim? The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the Hague saw some of the world’s worst war criminals during its 20 years in session.
Alphons Orie, as a judge at the tribunal, presided over several cases. Among others, he sentenced Ratko Mladić, Bosnian-Serbian general to life for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
How did he experience his time at the court, and does he think there’s a future for international tribunals? Will we see an International Criminal Tribunal for Climate Change?
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Albert Heijn, Etos, Bol.com: all of these brands are part of Ahold Delhaize's local brands, and this company also has six international brands on the U.S. East Coast that account for the bulk of their sales. This is your chance to get to know the man who manages this international brand on a daily basis.
Food retail is a unique industry, characterised by low margins, consumer sensitivity and potential for huge environmental impact. Right now, Mr. Muller finds himself in the nexus of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis and general shift to e-commerce. Turns out, food is a tricky business!
Listen in on our interview with Frans Muller to find out more about the food retail giant and much more!
Stock exchanges have offered a market for over 600 years. But what influence do politics, technology, and the stock market industry itself have on the price? Does the market, balancing the needs of buyers and sellers, provides a fair foundation? Will Stock Exchanges stand the test of time against Blockchains?
Listen in on our interview with the CEO of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange where she talks about these issues and many more!
Dr. Saville is one of the world’s foremost experts on language-learning, education, and technology. He spearheaded the development of digital technology and computer-based learning with Cambridge English in the 2010s and is now a prominent advocate of Education’s future frontier: AI.
Caecilia Wijgers, the last Dutch Ambassador to Afghanistan.
In her career, Wijgers held posts all around the world, from Latvia to Burundi, Cuba to Afghanistan, dealing with the challenges of being a diplomat in an increasingly unstable world.
What do Michael Scott, Jeff Bezos, and Kylie Jenner have in common? All three are successful managers, yet none of them have MBAs! So is business school really worth it? And what is Quiet Quitting? The Great Resignation? And how should companies really think about Corporate Social Responsibility?
This interview is with Eric Cornuel, the Director General & CEO of EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development). His foundation helps business schools improve and give out official accreditations to those they feel are deserving. And our own Department of Business and Economics holds just such an accreditation!
Room for Discussion Caroline van der Plas op de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Mevrouw van de Plas is actief Twitteraar, oud journalist, stijl icoon, maar bovenal de fractievoorzitter van de tweede partij in ons land, de BoerBurgerBeweging(BBB), tenminste, als we de peilingen mogen geloven. De BBB heeft momenteel 1 zetel in het parlement, maar staat op meerdere peilingen van 15 tot 20 zetels. Met die ene zetel doet mevrouw van de Plas veel, ze was net uitgeroepen door HP de Tijd tot 'ijverigste' Tweede Kamerlid van het parlementaire jaar 2021-2022. Ze resoneert goed, als 'de stem van het volk', met haar klare taal en directe social media strategie.Deze stem en ideologie vind wellicht niet veel weerklank op de stereotype studenten van de UvA. Daarom is het juist belangrijk om de crisises en de toekomst van de politiek te bespreken met iemand die qua stijl en politiek het veld redelijk op de kop zet. Stikstof, energie en een opvangcrisis, hoe lossen we die op? We gaan het met mevrouw van der Plas hebben over de tweedeling in Nederland van stad en platteland, het Nederlandse stikstof beleid, de persoon van der Plas en uiteraard de toekomst van de BBB. Kom vooral langs! Er is tijdens het interview ook ruimte voor publieksvragen
Listen to our interview with the CEO of DeGiro, Muhamad Chahrour. We discuss how the broker is navigating challenging times, how it is dealing with the merger with it's German brother, and he tells us why he thinks the idea of democratizing finance is nonsense.
Fighting Crime in the Digital Age - with Catherine de Bolle Executive Director Europol
On June 21st, Room for Discussion hosted the executive director of Europol, Catherine de Bolle! Like Judi Dench’s ‘M’, she is a formidable character in fighting international crime. She has worked in law enforcement her entire life, most notably as the General Police Commissioner in Brussels, President of the Coordination Committee for Intelligence and Security in the EU, Member of executive committee at Interpol and she is now starting her second term in her role in Europol.
Are you interested in how law enforcement agencies gather information? How police find terrorists? Track human and drug trafficking? Find money launderers and uncover fraud?
Room for Discussion was excited to host Eugene Rhuggenaath, the former prime minister of Curaçao. In his term, Rhuggenaath was faced with various challenges which arose from the ‘independence’ of Curaçao from the Netherlands, along with difficulties brought on by the Covid-19 Pandemic. His government was the first to complete the entire term since Curaçao’s ‘independence’ in 2010. Nevertheless, he was faced with major protests which arose during the pandemic ignited by controversies surrounding financial mismanagement and saturated government salaries. We will look back on 4 years in office, explore the relationship between Curaçao and the Netherlands and investigate the major problems Curaçao faces today.
Hoe sexy kunnen wij pensioenenpraat maken? Kom er achter bij ons interview met Harmen van Wijnen, Algemeen Bestuursvoorzitter van Nederlands grootste pensioenfonds ABP. Harmen van Wijnen staat aan het hoofd van een fonds ter waarde van ruim €500 miljard dat misschien wel voor jouw oude dag moet gaan zorgen.
Met een pensioenvermogen van meer dan 1,5 biljoen (!) euro heeft Nederland (percentueel) het allergrootste pensioenvermogen ter wereld. Maar de afgelopen jaren lijkt er minder vertrouwen dan ooit te zijn in de pensioenen voor de oude dag. In een vergrijzende wereld, tijden van inflatie en een veranderende arbeidsmarkt is het nog niet zo zeker dat wij net zo veel terug krijgen als onze ouders zullen krijgen. En we horen je denken: een leven lang betalen voor een onzeker pensioen is een slechte deal. Daarom bespreken we hoe onzeker onze pensioenen nou echt zijn en hoe het nieuwe pensioenakkoord onze generatie gaat beïnvloeden.
Laat ons je overtuigen dat je pensioen een belangrijk thema is; zelfs voor ons studenten! We kunnen niet alleen toekijken hoe belangrijke beslissingen over ons gemaakt worden. Stel je vragen zelf bij het interview!
Room for Discussion hosted one of the EU's top diplomats, Roland Kobia! He is a true EU guru; he started working for the European Commission 30 years ago and now works for the EU's diplomatic service, the EEAS. He is now EU Ambassador to Ethiopia, a country currently in the throes of civil war. Mr Kobia previously served as EU Ambassador to Myanmar and EU Special Envoy to Afghanistan, where he was appointed to negotiate with the Taliban.
If you are interested in EU foreign policy, peace processes, political mediation, state-building and regional security, you cannot miss this interview
Room for Discussion is elated to welcome Sir Paul Collier - development economist turned knight turned political advisor and commentator. This renowned political economist currently serves as an Economics professor at Oxford and is the director of the International Growth Centre in London. He’s written nine bestselling and award-winning books, with topics ranging from greed to refugees to the environment.
In short, Sir Paul Collier knows a lot about a lot, and we look forward to discussing societal tensions and reciprocity with him.
What role does reciprocity play in our societies, and how important is it really? Should identical people with canal apartments pay more taxes than people with suburbian villas? Is giving aid an act of charity or repayment of a debt? This and more will be discussed in our interview.
We are truly excited to welcome Luis de Guindos, vice-president of the European Central Bank (ECB) to our stage. This seasoned economist has had an impressive career. De Guindos took office as head of the Spanish and Portuguese department of Lehman Brothers before the fall. He served as Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, where he became credited with steering Spain to economic recovery after the euro crisis. Since 2018, he takes the prestigious position of vice-president of the ECB, the most important financial institution of Europe.
There is no better time to interview this leading economist. The Ukrainian war has increased tensions for the entire continent including the financial sector and the energy uncertainty will increase inflation rates even further. What role does the ECB play and what steps will they take given the rising inflation and potential recession? What impact do the sanctions have on us and on the war? What happens to the interest rate and the economy as a whole? What impact will it have on the North South divide within the EU? And what will happen to greening of monetary policy? This and much more will be discussed.
Virologist Marion Koopmans joins Room for Discussion in an unprecedented mystery event. The world renowned infectious disease expert has managed outbreaks of ebola, MERs, and H7N7, but faced her biggest challenge as an advisor to the WHO throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Her outspoken disease activism has made her one of the most famous scientists in Netherlands, and a target of COVID deniers and conspiracy theorists across the world.
As the confidential Guest X, she appeared wrapped in intense security measures to discuss the current state of the pandemic, and what we can all learn from 2 years of COVID.
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More than half of the Dutch population has a Rabobank account. It is the second largest bank in the Netherlands and among the top 30 banks in the world, and we have the honour to discuss the Rabobank, banking and greening in general with their CEO Wiebe Draijer. If you have any questions regarding the role banks play in the Ukraine conflict, the impact of the conflict on the banking sector and on the financial markets, come to our interview. This and more will be discussed.
Room for Discussion’s last big guest has authored two international bestsellers, has gone viral after taking on the wealthy at Davos and has been hailed as the “Dutch Wunderkind of new ideas” by the Guardian.
Bastian Obermayer, one of Europe's most successful investigative journalists who was one of the leading author behind the Panama Papers, on his investigative research, meeting Edward Snowden and speaking truth to power.
"One of the most sustainable banks in the world" is how the Triodos bank advertises itself. How did they achieve this role? And will they be able to keep this role in the future? We will be answering these questions and many more in our interview with Triodos CEO Jeroen Rijpkema, the seasoned banker making the switch from the corporate big fish ABN Amro to the green Triodos. Why does a private banking CEO move to an idealistic niche bank in Zeist? And how did his background in compliance and risk assessment prepare him for this move?
To learn if you should consider switching to Triodos, please enjoy this conversation from Room for Discussion!
The temperature rises in the Arctic as prehistoric ice sheets melt and nations edge ever closer to the brink of war. On the 7th of February 2022, the Dutch Ambassador to the Arctic Council, Rene van Hell, joined Room for Discussion to explore the current climate of the frozen far north.
Van Hell discussed how the Arctic has emerged as Ground 0 for Climate Change, as raging Siberian wildfires and the loss of 33% of sea ice disproportionately jeopardizes the region’s four million inhabitants. Simultaneously, environmental devastation has exposed vast riches, with a fifth of the world’s undiscovered oil hidden underneath a rapidly shrinking ice sheet and new trade routes promise to forever alter global shipping.
But opportunity brings competition, as the Arctic Council, a forum of Scandinavia, Canada, and the United States must cooperate with Russia to balance a commitment to saving the earth with unprecedented economic opportunity. 2022 will see Russia expand their military presence to more than 13 airfields and 16 deepwater ports, while the US has announced new arms deals and military exercises with the Scandinavian States. The Arctic has never been on thinner ice. Enjoy the conversation!
Coby van der Linde has been the director of the Clingendael International Energy Programme since 2001. Clingendael is one of the major research institutes on the international developments of the energy sector. She is also a professor in Groningen, specialised in energy and geopolitics. She has followed the developments in the natural gas market for decades. From a time where the Netherlands was a big transporter of natural gas, to the closure of the Groningen gas fields. From geopolitical tensions with Russia to the recent rise in gas prices.
We speak to Van der Linde about the current situation on the Gas Market. What effect do the geopolitical tensions have on the price of gas? What can we expect the coming years? What role does natural gas play in the green energy transition?
Dr. Sergei Guriev is a famous Russian economist from North Ossetia. Until 2013, he was the rector of the New Economic School in Moscow. At the same time, he was also an economic advisor to Prime minister Medvedev. However, in 2013 his world was turned upside down: he had to flee Russia after being investigated by the government about cases concerning oil tycoon Mr. Khodorkovsky and opposition leader Mr. Navalny.
Dr. Sergei Guriev then went to Paris to become a professor at Sciences Po. Furthermore, between 2016 and 2019, he was the chief economist of the European Bank of Development and Reconstruction (EBRD). This bank invests in countries to facilitate their transition into open and democratic market economies. Previously, it was most active in Eastern Europe but now it particularly invests in countries around central Eurasia and little Asia.
In this interview, we would like to look at the eventful year 2020 for Russia: it suffered from the oil crisis and the COVID crisis, the opposition leader Navalny was poisoned, elections are coming up and there are riots in neighboring Belarus. How did Russia handle these crises according to Dr. Guriev? Do we, as the West, have an inaccurate view of Russia? What will the future look like for Vladimir Putin?
On the 5th of November at 13:00 Room for Discussion interviewed former leader of the PvdA and nowadays one of the architects of the European Green Deal; Diederik Samsom. We talked with him for one hour at the central hall of the E-building and in that time we will touch upon several topics within the Green Deal. First of all, together with Samsom, we discuss the package of measures the European Union has made as a response to the climate change. Thereafter the discussion continues towards potential failures within the Green Deal and the European Member States. Last but not least, during the interview you there were of course possibilities for the audience to ask Diederik Samsom some pressing questions!
Laura van Geest is bestuursvoorzitter van de Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM). We bespreken wat de AFM precies doet en hoe hun toezicht eruit ziet. We gaan het veelvuldig hebben over de aandelenmarkten en beleggen.
Hoe staat de beurs er voor op het moment? Wat voor impact hebben bijvoorbeeld de coronacrisis, digitalisering, fintech en crypto’s en wat zijn de bijbehorende risico’s? Wat is de rol van ‘execution only’ beleggen? Is DUO investeren verstandig? En hoe beïnvloedt dit allemaal het toekomstige beurslandschap?
Op dinsdag 23 november om 13:00 uur interviewde Room for Discussion de Amsterdamse internist en huidig directeur van de Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk onderzoek: Marcel Levi! In de afgelopen jaren was hij directeur van maar liefst 5 gefuseerde ziekenhuizen in Londen en is de laatste jaren ook actief in de media waar hij graag aanschuift bij verschillende praatprogramma’s zoals OP1 en wekelijks columns schrijft voor het Parool. Tijdens het interview vragen wij dan ook om zijn mening vragen wat betreft het huidige Corona-beleid van de Nederlandse regering én komen wij erachter of de Nederlandse samenleving daadwerkelijk lessen heeft getrokken uit de pandemie. Daarnaast wordt ook de toekomst en de kwaliteit van de zorg behandeld, want de samenleving is aan het vergrijzen dus wat voor effect zal dat gaan hebben op de gezondheidszorg?
The era of Angela Merkel has come to an end. In all probability, Germany will have a new government before Christmas. And one of the key negotiators at the current coalition table is Otto Fricke. He has been a member of the Bundestag for the better part of two decades, serving as the FDP’s finance wizard. Not only has he been the chair of the Bundestag’s important budget committee for many years, he has also assumed the role of parliamentary leader for the liberal party. At this point, he is one of the party’s most trusted leaders.
In the recent federal election, the FDP has emerged as the “kingmaker”: without the FDP, there will be no new government. In our conversation with Fricke, we will discuss the potential of the traffic light coalition between the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Liberals, and focus on the FDP’s role as the indispensable junior partner. Will the three parties be able to put their heads together and lead Europe’s biggest country into a post-Merkel era of innovation, sustainability and prosperity? Or will they get caught up in four years of stalemate, because their differences are simply too large?
The Greens want to fight climate change by raising taxes and spending huge amounts of money, whereas the FDP insists they will not increase public spending and actually want to lower taxes. They prefer to let the magic of the market and advances in technology solve climate change.
Other topics we will discuss are: why is the FDP so popular with young voters? What can the German liberals learn from the Dutch and vice versa? Will we come to miss Merkel?
Herman Tjeenk Willink (1942) is sinds 2012 minister van staat. Hij verwierf een positie boven de partijen door een lange carrière als onder meer voorzitter van de Eerste Kamer en vicepresident van de Raad van State. Tjeenk Willink was zes keer informateur bij kabinetsformaties en daarom is dit de uitgelezen kans om te reflecteren over de huidge staat van de nederlandse politiek.
In zijn boek ‘Kan de overheid crises aan?’ betoogd Herman Tjeenk Willink dat de wijze waarop de Nederlandse overheid functioneert, de democratische rechtsorde heeft uitgehold. De coronacrisis legt dit probleem onder een vergrootglas. Na verschillende overheid crises, zoals de toeslagenaffaire, is het duidelijk dat er anders over de taak en positie van de overheid moet worden gedacht, maar hoe? Voor Tjeenk Willink is de opdracht duidelijk: kleiner denken, groter doen.
In dit interview bespreken we het verval van de Nederlandse overheid, de toeslagenaffaire, de formatie en bovenal mogelijke oplossingen voor de huidige problemen binnen de Nederlandse politiek.
Listen to our new interview with the Ambassador of the United States to the Netherlands. Firstly, we will be addressing the uprising in the aftermath of the brutal killing of George Floyd, while then moving on to focus on domestic and foreign policy during and after this pandemic. For most people, it seems worrisome and obvious that the tensions between China and The United States are, and will continue to be, record high. Although we have little impact on the foreign and domestic policy of the world’s biggest super powers from our homes, we can offer the opportunity to listen in and engage with with these super power’s international representatives.
Please submit your own questions that you would like answered, and we will provide a nuanced, albeit critical, discussion on the foreseeable political order that will emerge from this pandemic.
MAX GAAT DIT NOG AANPASSEN
We welcomed Olivier Blanchard to Room for Discussion. Described by the Washington Post as 'The Smartest Economist You've Never Heard Of', Dr. Blanchard is as serious an economist as they come. He served as Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund during the financial crisis and euro debt crises, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, one of the top think tanks in the world regarding macroeconomic policy.
As the economical consequences of the Corona-crisis were unfolding gradually, there was no better time to have a discussion with one of the leading macroeconomists, who has spent seven years in Washington as chief economist at the IMF, starting at the heights of the 2008 financial crisis. During this period at the Fund, Blanchard is known for his pro-Keynesian approaches and influences at the IMF, and as being responsible for ideological shifts in the field of macroeconomics. As Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz put it: “Olivier’s played an important role in opening up the Fund to a whole new set of ideas.”
What exactly were these ideas, and how do we see their influence today? With Blanchard, one of the most cited economists in the world, we opened up the debate about ideological arguments within macroeconomics, the approach of the IMF towards the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic, and his book about combatting inequality.
What should we, as students, know about the current crisis, and how do we put it into perspective with preceding crises?
Eindelijk is het zo ver! Na anderhalf jaar gaat Room for Discussion weer interviews houden op onze vertrouwde Chesterfieldbanken.
Wiegel (1941) werd op 30-jarige leeftijd lijsttrekker van de VVD. Een partij die hij door zijn befaamde toespraken over 'de mensen in het land' voor het eerst meer dan 20 zetels liet halen tijdens de verkiezingen van een jaar later. Tijdens het kabinet-Den Uyl stond Wiegel bekend als gevat politicus en leidde hij de felle oppositie tegen het linkse beleid van de PvdA-premier. Tijdens het daaropvolgende kabinet-Van Agt I schopte Wiegel het tot jongste vicepremier die Nederland ooit gehad heeft en, naar eigen zeggen, beste premier die Nederland nooit gehad heeft. Tegenwoordig schrijft de gepensioneerde Wiegel columns in De Telegraaf en is hij regelmatig te gast als politiek analist bij omroep WNL.
In 2010 was Wiegel ook al te gast om het te hebben over de turbulente politieke situatie waar Nederland zich toen in begaf. Elf jaar later beleeft diezelfde politiek opnieuw een dieptepunt en geven we de analyses van de heer Wiegel opnieuw een podium. Hoe duidt Wiegel de ongeëvenaarde impasse van deze kabinetsformatie? Welke parallellen trekt hij met zijn tijd in de politiek? Waarom voelen zo velen op rechts zich genoodzaakt een nieuwe partij te starten? Welke rol speelt premier Rutte hierin?
Listen to Room for Discussion’s interview with one of the current leading political economist and author of critically-acclaimed “Why Nations Fail”; Daron Acemoglu. The interview will be 45 minutes and in that time we will cover two main topics. First of all, we will discuss his view on the political and economic development of China. Thereafter the discussion continues towards the European Union and why he thinks that this ‘nation’ will not fail because of its inclusive institutions.
Few academic books ever become bestsellers, and even fewer dramatically change global political discussions. Prof. Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century (2013) did both. The book traced the history of income and wealth inequality in the developed world, arguing that inequality is an important feature – and not an accident- of capitalism. Most importantly, his work brought economic inequality back to the centre of political discussion.
It was an honour to have Professor Piketty join us for the second time at Room for Discussion! This time the topic of the interview was his newest book: Capital and Ideology (2019). In this new work, he argues from a historical and global perspective that inequality is not economic or technological, it is ideological and political. As such, it is fundamentally founded in the battle of ideas. The interview discusses these views and more, offering a short but insightful summary of over 1000 pages of Piketty's craft.
2020 was a year of crisis and shock, and there is still much about how the pandemic will change our societies that we do not know. We're talking to Tom Standage, deputy editor at the Economist, to get an insight into how the repercussions of this past year could play out. Mr. Standage has a degree in computer science and engineering and he has been a science and technology writer for The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. His role at The Economist focuses on the website, the application, and its digital platform. Given his areas of expertise, we'll be asking him some big picture questions about technological change over the past 30 years, the potential for a tech-led productivity boom in the near future, and how this might interact with our society and our politics. We'll also discuss the state of journalism and public debate today, and how these have been impacted by the pandemic.
Mrs. Hirsi Ali spent her youth in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya before seeking asylum in the Netherlands. In that country, she received the refugee status and fought her way to Leiden University where she studied political sciences. She became a protagonist in the fight for (Muslim) women’s rights, including the fight against forced marriages and female genital mutilation. Starting at the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA), she soon switched to the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) where she was elected to parliament to continue her fight.
In 2004, she received worldwide media attention when the Dutch film and documentary maker Theo van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death on the Linnaeusstraat in Amsterdam after he helped her making the controversial Islam-critical documentary Submission. A note stabbed on Mr. Van Gogh’s chest constituted a death threat to Mrs. Hirsi Ali.
Two years later in 2006, a documentary by the Dutch tv-show Zembla ‘exposed’ that Mrs. Hirsi Ali had lied during her application process for the refugee status. This made the Minister of Integration at that time – Rita Verdonk – take away her passport before giving it back after negotiations with Prime Minister Balkenende. These occurrences eventually led to the fall of the second Balkenende cabinet. Since 2006, Mrs. Hirsi Ali has lived in the United States where she started working for the American Enterprise Institute, founded the AHA Foundation and became a common guest at American national media. Nowadays, Mrs. Hirsi Ali is a fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution.
During our interview, we will touch upon Mrs. Hirsi Ali’s incredible past, her current views on socio-cultural and political issues and her ideas on the future for both the western and Islamic world.
How can we incentivize businesses to act sustainably? Are multinationals the problem or solution to climate change? What are the social responsibilities of large corporations?
Paul Polman, former CEO of consumer goods multinational Unilever, is a leading figure in the corporate sustainability movement. Since his departure from Unilever, he has founded the IMAGINE organization to eradicate poverty, lessen inequality and help companies to become more sustainable.
Room for Discussion has invited Polman to talk about his efforts to transform Unilever, the social responsibilities of corporations and the future of capitalism.
Interviewers: Max Boogaard (@max.boogaard) and Sarah Bronkhorst (@saarbronkhorst)
Branko Milanovic is one of the leading experts on income inequality and poverty. Formerly a lead economist at the research department of the World Bank, he now teaches at the City University of New York and London School of Economics, amongst others. He is perhaps most well known for publishing the ‘hottest’ chart in economics, the famous elephant curve, which describes how globalization has affected the global income distribution over the last 30 years. The basic message is that whilst between-country inequality has decreased, within-country inequality has increased. This research had a big impact on our understanding of inequality and it remains crucial to answering the pressing questions of how we can reduce inequality and what trends we can expect in the coming years.
He has written multiple books on globalization and its consequences. In his most recent book ‘Capitalism, alone’, he argues that capitalism is the only mode of production existent in the world right now and explores the different types of capitalism, as well as the relationship between capitalism and democracy. What type of capitalism is most beneficial for humans? Are these two modes of capitalism at war with each other, or are they going to be? And what does this all mean for the future of democracy? These are some of the biggest questions one could ask and with Mr. Milanovic, we’ll try at the very least to get a better idea of how we could begin to answer them.
The Covid-19 Pandemic, a once in a lifetime economic recession, and digitalization. These are issues that everyone has heard about. Tied to all of these issues, however, is a little known but important financial institution - the Bank for International Settlements. Also known as the “Central Bank of Central Banks”, the BIS’s role in all these issues is crucial but little understood.
Why do we need a Central Bank for Central Banks and how can the BIS help in addressing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and digitalization? Join us for a discussion with the Head of Monetary and Economic Department at the BIS - Claudio Borio - to find out more.
Disclaimer: On the day of the interview we had trouble with our microphones. That is why the audio is double for most of the interview. Sincere apologies we are working on solving this issue for future interviews.
De Coronacrisis heeft ons leven al maanden in de greep. De noodsituatie die in essentie een gezondheidscrisis is, transformeert zich naar een economische crisis met faillissementen en werkloosheid als gevolg.
Studenten beginnen zich zorgen te maken over de toekomst: lagere kansen op werkgelegenheid, hoge schulden en een recessie in het vooruitzicht. In hoeverre betalen jongeren het bonnetje voor deze crisis? Hoe worden de belangen van jongeren in acht genomen bij beleidsvoering, en moeten we bang zijn voor de effecten op lange termijn?
Om een antwoord te krijgen op deze vragen is Room for Discussion in gesprek gegaan met hoogleraar toegepaste economie, tevens directievoorzitter van de Rabobank, Barbara Baarsma. Mevrouw Baarsma deelt regelmatig haar economische inzichten, bijvoorbeeld bij OP1 en Jinek, om een duidelijk beeld te schetsen van de economische nasleep rondom de Corona-beperkende maatregelen.
We lezen veel over criminaliteit in het nieuws. Zware misdaad is aan de orde van de dag, steeds vaker lijkt georganiseerde criminaliteit hier ook deel van uit te maken. Criminele activiteiten lijken steeds verder door te sijpelen in de samenleving. Klopt dit beeld van toenemende criminaliteit? Hoe heeft zware criminaliteit en georganiseerde misdaad zich ontwikkeld de afgelopen jaren? En wat betekent dit voor de samenleving? Dit soort vragen zullen worden besproken in ons gesprek met Jonne Janssen, het Sectiehoofd Dienst Regionale Recherche van Amsterdam.
Interviewers: Loïs Kok (@loiiskok) en Abel van Toorn (@abelvantoorn)
Must Central Banks go green? If so how? Why hasn't there been any inflation this year after gigantic stimulus packages? Is inflation gonna happen in the future? And why is there such a large discrepancy between the stock market and the real economy?
These questions and more will be discussed with Olaf Sleijpen, executive director of the Dutch central bank and alternate member of the governing council of the ECB.
Interviewers: Tim Vree & Abel van Toorn
We are honoured to announce that we will be interviewing Lucette ter Borg and Carola Houtekamer. Two renowned investigative journalists for the NRC who wrote the article on Julian Andeweg that is the inspiration for this interview.
Besides being an award-winning novelist, Lucette ter Borg is also a well-known art critic writing mainly on the Dutch art scene. She has recently also published work on the lack of diversity within Dutch art institutions. Carola Houtekamer has worked as an editor on manufacturing, construction and tech for the NRC. And she has recently written investigative pieces on datacentres in the Wieringermeerpolder and the impact of windmills.
The article we will be discussing is on the troubling case of Dutch artist Julian Andeweg. A three-month-long investigation by ter Borg and Houtekamer uncovered a trial of accusations of rape, harassment, violence and theft dating back to Andeweg's time at the art school KABK. The incompetence in dealing with these allegations of Dutch art institutions shocked many, but also started a bigger #metoo movement within the Dutch art scene. The Instagram account @calloutdutchartinstitutions was created and gained around 10.000 followers in only a few days. The account featured disturbing experiences of sexual harassment, racism, sexism and the inadequacy of the institutions in dealing with these allegations. This showed that the case of Julian Andeweg was not just an isolated incident but was an indication of a larger problem within the Dutch art world. The problem is a rather non-progressive and unprofessional culture within Dutch art schools, galleries, museums and more. Discussions on the lack of diversity and representation within the Dutch art scene have also gained attraction following the publication of this article.
We will be discussing all of this and more during our hour-long interview with Lucette ter Borg and Carola Houtekamer.
Professor Jack Goldstone is the man who over ten years ago developed a model that predicted the onset of massive social unrest in the United States beginning “around 2020". Incidentally, just two days ago Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. In this age of social unrest, from the George Floyd protests in the US, to the yellow vest protests in France and anti-lockdown protests in Germany, across the world, people are taking to the streets and rebelling against the establishment.
Many people are struggling to understand what is driving continuing social unrest in the West. For some it might seem like this age of unrest came out of nowhere and was totally unpredictable. But not for Professor Jack Goldstone, leading sociologist, political scientist, and historian. With his model, he purports to be able to boil down the drivers of political instability to just three factors. Having successfully applied this model to revolutions and periods of instability both past and present, he is a leading scholar on revolutions, democratic transitions, and demography.
And that’s why we’ve invited him to Room for Discussion to discuss his model, the driving forces behind social unrest in the West today, and what we can expect in the future. Given the recent period of unrest in the United States, but also the uncertainties of a post-COVID world in Europe, it is critical that we at Room for Discussion bring on the experts to help us make sense of these complicated times.
00:00 Intro
01:26 The Capitol Insurrection
10:32 Will Trump Be Removed From Office?
15:52 Understanding the Model: What Drives Social Unrest?
31:53 How America Became so Polarised
41:58 How Elite Competition Facilitates Social Unrest
46:42 How do We Break the Cycle of Elite Competition & Inequality?
53:49 Will There be Less Polarisation Under Biden
56:50 What Reforms can Reduce Polarisation in America?
01:05:00 Predictions for the Future
Vaccination is a big topic with the current Covid crisis happening in the whole world. Most talkshows, columns and interviews talk with medical experts about the implementation and the impact they will have on society. However, in this interview, Room for Discussion wants to explore the ethical and legal sides of this topic. Mandatory vaccination, vaccination passports, vaccination sceptics, all these subjects are of high importance to think about and deal with covid, besides just the medical analyses.
Roland Pierik is an academic experts on this topic, researching it for years. As member of the Dutch Health Council and the Dutch Commission on Vaccination, we can be sure that this interview will provide us with multiple new insights into the current vaccination programme.
For the last 20 years questions of immigration and identity have been at the heart of our politics, yet we have made almost no progress. Why is Özdil not a Dutch name? How did the Netherlands become more ethnically segregated than America? Why are riots in the Schilderswijk an integration problem, but riots in Urk not?
To answer these questions, we’ve invited Zihni Özdil, historian, columnist and former member of parliament for GroenLinks. Yet unlike most of his left-leaning compatriots, Özdil believes that we should do away with the old multicultural consensus in favour of “inclusive” nationalism.
Together with him, we will explore the struggle for acceptance and belonging among those of migrant origin, the historic roots of the Dutch migration story and how we can achieve a truly inclusive national identity.
Benedicte Ficq is een van de beste strafpleiters van Nederland. Ze verdedigde beruchte namen zoals Dino Soerel, Marcel Teunissen, Badr Hari en Jan-Dirk Paarlberg, en is ze deel van het team dat Ridouan Taghi bijstaat. Daarnaast houdt ze grote vervuilers en bedrijven die gezondheidsproblemen veroorzaken aansprakelijk. Zo spande zij een paar jaar geleden een grote zaak aan tegen de tabaksindustrie, en sleept zij nu Tata Steel voor de rechter.
Hoe gaat ze om met grote criminelen, wat wilde ze eigenlijk bereiken met het aanklagen van de tabaksindustrie en wat maakt haar nou specifiek zo’n ontzettend goede advocaat?
Wil je graag de antwoorden op deze en nog vele andere vragen horen?
Kijk dan gou mee!
Interviewers: Rifka Roos (@rifka__r) en Pelle Padmos (@pellepadmos)
We worden nu al een jaar getergd door de Corona crisis. HORECA en andere sectoren hebben het zwaar, maar wat zijn de precieze economische gevolgen van de corona crisis, en hoe komen we daar weer bovenop?
Wat doet de overheid? En is dat verstandig? Zitten wij zo met een enorme staatsschuld of maakt dat eigenlijk niet zoveel uit?
Bas Jacobs is professor Overheidsfinanciën aan de Erasmus Universiteit, hij kan ons precies vertellen hoe het met onze economie gaat, wat we kunnen verwachten en hoe nu verder.
Interviewers: Floyd en Abel
Whether its Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian border, Turkey’s confrontations with Greece and France or the retreat of the United States from Europe, the strength of the NATO alliance is being challenged at every turn. Where does this place European Security?
To answer this question, we’ve invited former Secretary General of NATO and former Dutch minister of foreign affairs, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer for an interview on the 29th of april at 12:00 till 13:00. Together with him we’ll discuss the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, the challenges to the unity of NATO, whether Europe should become a geopolitical heavyweight and the future of European Security.
Interviewers: Simba and Renze
Halsema studeerde Algemene Sociale Wetenschappen (ASW) met een specialisatie in Criminologie aan de Universiteit Utrecht. Ze was tot 1997 lid van de Partij van de Arbeid, maar verruilde deze voor GroenLinks toen ze door Paul Rosenmöller werd gevraagd zich voor die partij te kandideren voor de Tweede Kamerverkiezingen van 1998. Met plek 3 op de lijst haalde ze eenvoudig een zetel. In 2003 werd ze fractievoorzitter van GroenLinks, waar ze pleitte voor een links-liberale in plaats van socialistische koers en pleitte ze voor meer linkse samenwerking.
In 2018 werd Halsema burgemeester van onze hoofdstad waarmee ze de populaire Eberhard van der Laan (PvdA) opvolgde, die na zijn overlijden tijdelijk door Jozias van Aartsen (VVD) was vervangen. Hiermee werd Halsema de eerste vrouwelijke en eerste GroenLinks burgemeester van Amsterdam.
Haar burgemeesterschap kende in de afgelopen drie jaar veel uitdagingen. Zo werd haar zoon in 2019 gearresteerd voor wapenbezit, kreeg ze veel kritiek te verduren toen ze in juni vorig jaar de Black Lives Matter-protesten op de Dam toestond en moet ze de stad leiden met alle problemen die de pandemie met zich meebrengt. Onze ervaren interviewers Abel en Sarah zullen het met Halsema onder andere hebben over de stad tijdens en na corona, over Amsterdams gemeentelijk beleid met betrekking tot studenten en over wat Halsema zélf nu eigenlijk wil voor de stad.
Op 28 mei interviewen wij schrijver en Nederlands student Lale Gül. Zij schreef een autobiografische roman over haar ervaringen in een conservatief Turks Islamitisch huishouden. Na het publiceren van haar boek werd ze overspoelt met haar reacties en zelfs bedreigingen. De gespannen situatie thuis bereikte ook een hoogtepunt, waardoor Gül haar ouderlijk huis moest verlaten.
In voorgaande interviews werd er vooral gesproken over de reacties op haar boek van haar omgeving en de maatschappij. Wij willen het echter hebben over Lale Gül als schrijver, opiniemarker en leeftijdsgenoot.
Interviewers: Loïs en Simba
We are honoured to welcome the next President of the European Council, and former prime minister of Belgium, Charles Michel. Mr. Michel does not only have a significant relationship with the European Union, but he also has his own personal relationship with the University of Amsterdam as a former alumnus. The interview will not only touch upon the president-elect’s prior experience at the UvA, but they will also dive into the topics of Europe Divided, the European Project, Europe’s Global Position, and ultimately what his position as the next president of the European Council will mean for our Union in the coming years.
Deirdre McCloskey, Distinguished Professor of Economics, History, English, and Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She was also a visiting Professor of Philosophy for 5 years at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam. How can we think of liberalism in the 21st century? What kind of transformations has the idea of liberalism faced over the course of history, and to what extent are these applicable to our current political and economic realities? With Professor McCloskey we aim to delve into what produces 'bourgeois virtues', and understand how her religious beliefs can fit into the mould of liberal values. The discussion will centre on issues that are paramount to the disciplines of philosophy, governance, politics, morality and economic history.
Jill Lepore is Professor of American History at Harvard University and a journalist at The New Yorker. She specialises in American history, specifically early American history and undocumented history. During our interview with Lepore, we will focus on history as a subject and the implications it has had for society today. How do politicians like Donald Trump use history? How has the way we remember history affected minorities? Apart from this, the questions of whether these truths are self-evident and how the lack of these truths has changed America will be explored extensively during the session.
Dan Ariely joins us as we discuss the irrational behaviours that underpin our actions and the implications that they have for society, as well as the solutions employed to address them.
In addition, we will talk about global societal issues that are a result of our own irrational behaviour. From inequality to the online dating market; we will try to pin down how structures that can correct for our own irrationality can be expected to help.
The Democratic Party is changing.
From establishment to non-establishment; from centrists to progressive; from universal basic income to abolishment of private insurance, it seems odd that one party can encompass the vast differences in policy proposals, sentiments, and ideologies that are taking place within it under one name.
With the election of President Donald Trump we’ve seen dramatic overhauls within the United States congress. If there is one thing that unifies the Democrats, it’s an unparalleled hatred for the current President of the United States.
However; will a common strive to get rid of the current president result in deeper cuts within the Democratic party? Or will the new nominee reveal the new face of the democrats, rather than a break off from it?
With George Blaustein, Senior Lecturer of American Studies at the UvA, we will do our best to understand, predict, and discuss the future of the Democratic Party.
The interview will touch upon the economic and political dynamics between Europe and China. We will attempt to understand how China’s actions within Europe are shaped by its world vision. In addition, we will ask how the domestic and internal politics between these two regions contribute to these dynamics.
We are joined by Ties Dams and Alexandr Lagazzi. Ties Dams is a writer and strategist. He has been studying the Chinese state since his studies as a philosopher, political scientist, and economist in Utrecht, London, and China. He is also the author of the book, ‘De Nieuwe Keizer,’ which details the life of the most powerful man in China, Xi Jinping. Alexandr Lagazzi, holds a BA in International Economic Relations and Diplomacy from the Faculty of International Relations of the University of Economics in Prague. Alexandr Lagazzi is an expert in the fields of international economic relations and diplomacy, international security and terrorism.
H.E. Mr. Ranieri Sabatucci, is the Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to the African Union. In his 30 years with the European Institutions, he has covered thematic areas ranging from trade and development to Political and Peace and Security, having worked out of Brussels, Dar-Es Salaam and Pretoria.
The interview revolved around the relationship between the European Union and the African Union. How does the EU's position compare to that of China? Further, we will ask what the future of the African Union entails. This and more during our interview with the Ambassador.
Although many of us have been sweltering this summer in what has been the hottest month ever recorded, international investors and market analysts have been sweating for different reasons. Dark clouds are looming over the global economy, as a No-Deal Brexit becomes ever more likely, the US-China trade war worsens, recession in several countries is bearing down, and central bankers are struggling to find new monetary policy instruments. All this is represented by an inverted yield curve in US treasury bills, an omen of a potential future downturn. What, then, should we expect from the global economy in 2020 and what should we do to avoid another global recession?
To help us answer these questions and more is Chief Economist of the IMF, Dr. Gita Gopinath. Dr. Gopinath is an expert and leading scholar in exchange rates, sovereign debt, and capital flows. As well as being Chief Economist of the IMF, Dr. Gopinath is also the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University’s economics department.
We are proud to announce we will be hosting Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times, on the 15th of May. After having obtained his degree at Oxford, Wolf went to become a senior economist at the World Bank before turning to financial journalism. To understand Wolf’s influence, one must first understand his audience. They are dedicated Financial Times readers and as Wolf put it: “I’m writing for the people who are doing these things, who are running these things, both governmental and politicians and financiers”.
The discussion will revolve around two topics:
– The importance of economic and financial journalism.
Our world has become increasingly financialized and the consequences of this development were felt during the financial crisis. What role does financial journalism play in keeping the financial sector in check? And to what extent does the attack on established media outlets affect the FT?
– The economic challenges of the coming decade.
Where is economics needed most in the coming decade? We will discuss two possible fields: the economic response to climate change and the role of economics in maintaining liberal democratic values. Firstly, with the release of the latest UNCCP report it has become increasingly clear that an appropriate response to climate change must be taken within the coming decade, what is the role of young economists in this debate and what policies make economic sense? Secondly, the US-China trade war has been dominating economic headlines, is it really only about trade balances or can we expect more economic wars as the liberal world order will be increasingly challenged?
Whoever thinks that investing is only to be done by means of buying and selling shares is wrong. Not only the rate of returns and stock prices are important when deciding what kind of shares to buy, but also the business that the company is actually doing is really important. How much do companies adhere to societal pressures and to what extent do they take their corporate social responsibility?
More and more initiatives are launched by which this becomes an important factor when making investment decisions. Investing is more than making returns instead of putting your money on your savings account, it is also a way in which business is financed, and business decisions are being made. How can you steer business in a more desirable way?
Kandidaten van de acht grootste partijen bij de meest recente verkiezingen:
De kandidaten zijn niemand minder dan Arnout Hoekstra (SP), Tineke Strik (GroenLinks), Paul Tang (PvdA), Felix Klos (D’66), Anil Kumar (ChristenUnie/SGP), Chantal Hakbijl (CDA) Liesje Schreinemacher (VVD) en Frederik Jansen (FvD).
Opzet van het debat:
Er zal gedebatteerd worden over vier onderwerpen aan de hand van vier stellingen.
De Europese Unie gaat de komende jaren een ontzettend spannende periode tegemoet.
Met de Franse hervormingsdrang, de aankomende Brexit, het naderende vertrek van Merkel als leider van Duitsland en het opkomende populisme in Hongarije, Polen en Italië is de koers van de EU allerminst zeker. Daarnaast lijkt Amerika als bondgenoot minder vanzelfsprekend dan de afgelopen decennia het geval was en timmeren opkomende wereldmachten als China en India flink aan de weg.
Waar staat Nederland in dit veranderende speelveld en wat voor Europese koers willen de Nederlandse partijen de komende jaren gaan varen? Dit zijn vragen die er meer dan ooit toe doen!
De laatste Provinciale Statenverkiezingen hebben laten zien hoe versplinterd het Nederlandse politieke landschap is geworden. De gevestigde coalitiepartijen moeten nu een strategie bedenken – zo ook D66. Wordt het strijd – of wordt het polderen? Hoe zal de klimaatdrammer van D66 zich profileren tegenover de nieuwkomer in de Eerste Kamer en zijn anti-EU boodschap? Waar ligt de huidige ideologische prioriteit van de traditionele middenpartij en hoe dicht staat zij nog bij de democratische idealen van oprichter Van Mierlo? En hoe zal Rob Jetten het leiderschap van de partij de komende tijd op zich nemen?
They say two things are certain in life: death and taxes. In this session we shall be discussing the latter with the Dutch secretary of finance, Menno Snel. The fiscal regime in the Netherlands has been under large scrutiny lately, with the proposal for the abolishment of the dividend tax being scrapped and debate over the leniency towards multinational companies in the Netherlands. As well as tax evasion and avoidance, the interview will look at taxes in a broader sense, exploring what role they play in society, how public attitudes towards taxation are shaped and the ideas behind a fiscal union.
ome of you might know him as the author of your microeconomics textbook, others because of his position as chief economist at Google. As a microeconomist prof. Varian has specialized in the role of information in the economy. Starting consulting for Google in 2002 he has been key to Google’s auction design system and corporate strategy. Google has radically changed the way we receive our information, practically serving as the gatekeeper to the internet. However, in recent times there has been increased scrutiny towards superstar firms. During the interview we will discuss among others how information is transforming the economy and the role of Google in the modern economy.
Na tijden van bezuinigingen wordt er eindelijk weer meer geïnvesteerd in het Nederlandse leger; maar is het genoeg? Wat zijn de uitdagingen waar het Nederlandse leger voor staat de komende jaren? Zal door de bekoelde trans-Atlantische relatie de NAVO over een paar jaar nog bestaan? Moet er meer militaire samenwerking komen tussen EU landen?
How is climate change posing new challenges for our legal systems, policy-making, and how is it is being addressed in our courtrooms. We will discuss recent cases in the Netherlands such as Urgenda and Milieudefensie’s lawsuit against Royal Dutch Shell. To help us discuss this topics, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Joyeeta Gupta — co-chair of UN Environment’s Global Environmental Outlook-6 and Professor at the University of Amsterdam— and Freek Bersch — Spokesperson for Economy at Milieudefensie — will join us as we discuss these topics in a one-hour long interview, hosted on our stage at “Room for discussion”.
On paper, things have never looked better for female entrepreneurs. But statistical numbers only tell part of the story. Women-owned firms are still in the minority, and the hurdles faced by women who have embraced entrepreneurship are vast and often very different than those experienced by their male counterparts. To shed light on some of these disparities, Room for Discussion organizes a panel discussion with three inspiring business women who will discuss their experiences regarding female entrepreneurship and leadership.
Our first guest is Dr. Cara Antoine. She joined Microsoft the Netherlands in January 2017 as Chief Marketing & Operations Officer. We will also be joined by Ms. Diana van Maasdijk, co-founder & CEO of Equileap, an organisation aiming to accelerate progress towards gender equality in the workplace. Our third and final guest is Ms. Carine de Meyere, Director of Partnerships & New Business Development for TEDxAmsterdamWomen.
On our first Brexit Session, we focused on the British perspective – the dire situation in parliament, the leadership challenges, and the political party splits. On this session, we will move onto Europe. What will be the economic impact of a No Deal Brexit? What should the way forward for European negotiators?
Pete Hoekstra serves as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands but has formerly been a member of the U.S House of Representatives, and Chair of the House Intelligence Committee. In the interview, we will touch upon the relations between the Netherlands and The United States. We will try to understand the coherency or potential incoherency of American foreign policy in places such as Venezuela and Syria. Additionally, we will explore the current situation in US politics with the recent shutdown showing the potentially weakening power of the President
Space exploration has been a token of global leadership since the Cold War. However, private companies are increasingly seeing space as a new market outside of our planetary boundaries. With the emergence of astropreneurship, the market structure in the space industry has changed drastically. Companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic have been able to cut costs through technological advancement and are challenging old space monopolies. However, this drive for privatisation has been largely led by US-based companies, with Europe falling behind.
Three years ago the united kingdom – in an extremely close referendum – voted to leave the European Union. Since then the country has gone through what experts have called the gravest political crisis in contemporary British history. With parties split on the issue, challenges to the current government and constant impasses over – until recently – generally unheard issues. The question many are asking is: what is going on? On our first of our two sessions on Brexit, we will focus on the United Kingdom’s perspective. In this one hour interview with two experts on the matter, we plan to bring you up to date with the most recent Brexit news (whatever that is at the moment), while discussing the current Conservative split and assess the role and responsibility of Labour. Finally, our experts will provide the audience with their predictions of how matters will evolve.
Feike Sijbesma is a Member of the Board of Royal DSM since July 2000, and CEO and Chairman since May 2007. Royal DSM is a Dutch multinational active in the fields of health, nutrition, and materials. Headquartered in Heerlen, at the end of 2017 DSM employed 21,054 people in around 50 countries and posted net sales of €8,632 million. Besides being the CEO of Royal DSM, Sijbesma is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Central Bank and a non-executive board member of Unilever, while also being a member of the Global CEO Council of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, advising the Chinese Premier.
This impressive palette of influential functions resulted in De Volkskrant naming him as the third most influential person in The Netherlands and because of his efforts for a more sustainable planet, the World Bank Group named him a “Global Climate Leader”.
Tijdens dit interview zal gesproken worden over hoe het Nederlands zorgstelsel sinds 2006 drastisch is veranderd door de marktwerking in de zorg. De concurrentie tussen zorgverzekeraars en zorgaanbieders moet leiden tot lagere kosten in de zorg en betere kwaliteit om de stijgende zorgkosten behapbaar te houden. Functioneert de marktwerking zodanig goed dat dat ook wordt bereikt? Kunnen we spreken van een gezonde markt?
Dit en meer bespreken we samen met Georgette Fijneman, directievoorzitter Zilveren Kruis, en Ernst van Koesveld, directeur Zorgverzekeringen bij het Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport.
Currently, there are multiple countries at risk of an economic crisis. Severe drops in the values of their domestic currencies are drastically altering and changing the country’s economic performance. On December 10th, Room for Discussion hosted an interview with Nora Neuteboom, an economist for ABN Amro, and Professor Sweder van Wijnbergen. The interview will cover “Crushed Currencies,” and the turmoil that is created in emerging markets.
There are many discrepancies between the member states within the eurozone about the direction this monetary union should take. With Germany and France trying to lead the ship towards a clear destination, and other member states struggling to catch up, the future of the eurozone seems unclear, and maybe even in danger. The coming years will be crucial for the future of this monetary union, but which hurdles should the block overcome to become the stable union all member states signed up for?
During this one-hour interview we are eager to answer this question together with Daniel Gros (Director of the Centre for European Policy Studies) and Enrico Perotti (Professor of International Finance)
In overview:
What: Eurozone Reforms - The Future of the Single Currency
Who: Daniel Gros (Director of the Centre for European Policy Studies) & Enrico Perotti (Professor of International Finance)
Interviewers: Santiago Diaz Jaramillo and Linus Ax
During this interview we explore the most effective policies to make refugees well integrated, productive and profitable members of society in the most efficient way. The primary focus revolves around current policies within Europe, the best ways to integrate refugees into the workforce and the limits of integration policies
During this one-hour interview we are eager to answer these questions together with Leo Lucassen, Professor of Social History and author, and Eva Degler, Migration policy analyst at OECD.
What: Refugee Integration
Who: Leo Lucassen and Eva Degler
Interviewers: Saumya Joshi and Olaf Vrijmoet.
We are happy to receive Professor Robert Koopman, the Chief Economist of the World Trade Organisation in October for an interview on international trade.
The interview falls into a time in which the liberal world trade order is shaken by the ongoing trade war between the two largest economies of the world, the United States and the Peoples Republic of China.
For our second lustrum interview, we have invited the former European Commissioner for Competition and Vice-president of the Commission for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes.
The interview focusses on several pressing topics in the European Union right know, such as the upcoming populist-nationalist political parties vs the cosmopolitan status quo parties.
Furthermore, we will discuss with Ms. Kroes the challenge the EU is facing to keep up with the US and China in the field of high-end technology, for example Artificial Intelligence and Robotisation.
Considering this, which institutional reforms are needed within the EU to keep it competitive with regard to other big geopolitical forces and to maintain the wellbeing of its citizen?
We are honored to have Carles Puigdemont, former President of Catalonia, at Room for Discussion.
A year ago on October 1st, 2017, Carles Puigdemont appeared in the headlines of international newspapers after having organized the unofficial referendum for secession of Spain.
Not only was this referendum considered controversial as it was declared illegal by the Constitutional Court of Spain, but also because of the involvement of the Spanish National Police Corps who actively engaged in attempting to prevent the referendum from happening, which resulted in more than 200 injuries and images of the police trying to stop people to vote, which reached the homes of citizens all over Europe. While 92% of the Catalan voters voted in favor of independence, only 43% of the total Catalan population carried out their vote. Nevertheless, two weeks later, Puigdemont declared the independence of Catalonia.
The referendum resulted in the Spanish government taking over the rule in Catalonia, ministers who participated in organizing the referendum were sent to jail, and Carles Puigdemont fled to Belgium. One year later, very little progress has been made, and the situation seems currently stuck, with no party willing to move.
During this one-hour interview, we will discuss the independence movement, the implications of the organized referendum and the possible role that the EU could play in resolving this conflict.
To kickoff the new academic year Room for Discussion interviewed Marjan van Loon, President-Director Shell Netherlands, on the 12th of September. During this one-hour interview, we discuss the role that Shell is playing within the Netherlands. Shell has been one of the biggest Dutch employers for years, but also plays a vital role in the energy transition. Therefore, we discuss the role of Shell in these fields and how the company deals with its corporate responsibility in the country.
Tien Jaar na de Financiële Crisis met Kees van Dijkhuizen (CEO ABN AMRO) en Arnoud Boot (hoogleraar Ondernemingsfinanciering en Financiële Markten)
Op 15 september 2008 viel de Amerikaanse bank Lehman Brothers. Deze ondergang was het startschot van een verwoestende financiële crisis.
In de mondiale kettingreactie die deze val veroorzaakte werd geen bank gespaard van de schokgolven die door de kapitaalmarkten gingen. Enige tijd na deze val nationaliseerde de Nederlandse overheid ABN AMRO, om te voorkomen dat deze systeembank zou sneuvelen. Voor 16,8 miljard euro wordt zowel ABN Amro Bank Nederland als Fortis Bank Nederland ingelijfd. Sindsdien is er hevige discussie ontstaan in hoeverre de financiële sector maatschappelijke verantwoordelijkheid draagt. Banken zijn gewoonlijk private instituties die net als andere bedrijven het doel hebben winst te maximaliseren. Aan de andere kant vormt de financiële sector het hart van de economie en dat brengt dat een morele plicht met zich mee.
De financiële sector werd door de crisis die tien jaar geleden plaatsvond ernstig aangetast. De gevolgen zijn tot op de dag van vandaag merkbaar en zullen dat voor de financiële sector nog langdurig blijven. Of dit nu strengere kapitaaleisen of het terugwinnen van het maatschappelijke vertrouwen betreft.
Wat heeft de bancaire sector geleerd van de crisis en hoe staan we er nu voor? Wat zijn de verantwoordelijkheden van banken? Is het risicomanagement van de banken drastisch veranderd? Hoe zorgen wij ervoor dat de economie minder afhankelijk wordt van de financiële sector? En wat gaat de toekomst brengen voor ABN AMRO en andere banken in Nederland?
Om een brug te slaan tussen economie als wetenschap en de economische berichtgeving in de media over de financiële crisis, werd tien jaar geleden ons discussieplatform opgericht. Een decennium later kijkt Room for Discussion samen met Kees van Dijkhuizen, de CEO van ABN Amro en Arnoud Boot, hoogleraar Ondernemingsfinanciering en Financiële Markten en kroonlid SER, terug op deze ingrijpende en allesomvattende crisis.
Room for Discussion is vereerd om aan te kondigen dat tijdens de Universiteitsdag Geert ten Dam, voorzitter van het College van Bestuur van de Universiteit van Amsterdam, bij ons te gast zal zijn! Tijdens het interview zullen wij de Universiteit van Amsterdam als onderzoeksinstituut en educatiecentrum analyseren. Hierbij zullen wij bespreken hoe de organisatie zichzelf gaat positioneren binnen onze globaliserende en digitaliserende wereld, welke afwegingen gemaakt moeten worden binnen een gelimiteerd budget en welke rol Geert ten Dam als voorzitter aanneemt. Welke visie heeft het college van bestuur op de toekomst van de Universiteit van Amsterdam? Hoe gaan zij om met de gelimiteerde financiële middelen? Wat zijn de oplossingen voor de overvolle college zalen en hoge werkdruk?
The retail sector has been changing a lot over the past few years. With innovations such as online shopping and delivery becoming more and more popular, retailers are facing challenges on a daily basis. Solutions are for example the self-scanners at the Albert Heijn, or the service points of Bol.com: all to save you time and make shopping a more time-efficient activity.
Albert Heijn, Bol.com, Etos and Gall & Gall are the local companies of Ahold Delhaize in the Netherlands, but Ahold Delhaize is one of the largest retail groups worldwide. With local companies in Europe, the United States and Indonesia, Ahold Delhaize is serving more than 50 million shoppers a week. Supermarkets and e-commerce are the main focuses of the company that was founded after the merger of Ahold and Delhaize Group in July 2016.
Dick Boer became the President and CEO of Ahold in March 2011, and remained in this position after the merger. Boer has been praised for his knowledge of retail, but also for his involvement with both the customers and his employees. Dick Boer will end his term as President and CEO of the multinational in July, to be followed up by Frans Muller, current Deputy CEO and former President and CEO of Delhaize Group.
Who: Dick Boer, CEO and President of Ahold Delhaize
What: Retail, one of the biggest Dutch multinationals
Interviewers: Santiago Diaz Jaramillo & Sara Joelle Baars
Tien Jaar na de Financiële Crisis met Kees van Dijkhuizen (CEO ABN AMRO) en Arnoud Boot (hoogleraar Ondernemingsfinanciering en Financiële Markten)
Op 15 september 2008 viel de Amerikaanse bank Lehman Brothers. Deze ondergang was het startschot van een verwoestende financiële crisis.
In de mondiale kettingreactie die deze val veroorzaakte werd geen bank gespaard van de schokgolven die door de kapitaalmarkten gingen. Enige tijd na deze val nationaliseerde de Nederlandse overheid ABN AMRO, om te voorkomen dat deze systeembank zou sneuvelen. Voor 16,8 miljard euro wordt zowel ABN Amro Bank Nederland als Fortis Bank Nederland ingelijfd. Sindsdien is er hevige discussie ontstaan in hoeverre de financiële sector maatschappelijke verantwoordelijkheid draagt. Banken zijn gewoonlijk private instituties die net als andere bedrijven het doel hebben winst te maximaliseren. Aan de andere kant vormt de financiële sector het hart van de economie en dat brengt dat een morele plicht met zich mee.
De financiële sector werd door de crisis die tien jaar geleden plaatsvond ernstig aangetast. De gevolgen zijn tot op de dag van vandaag merkbaar en zullen dat voor de financiële sector nog langdurig blijven. Of dit nu strengere kapitaaleisen of het terugwinnen van het maatschappelijke vertrouwen betreft.
Wat heeft de bancaire sector geleerd van de crisis en hoe staan we er nu voor? Wat zijn de verantwoordelijkheden van banken? Is het risicomanagement van de banken drastisch veranderd? Hoe zorgen wij ervoor dat de economie minder afhankelijk wordt van de financiële sector? En wat gaat de toekomst brengen voor ABN AMRO en andere banken in Nederland?
Om een brug te slaan tussen economie als wetenschap en de economische berichtgeving in de media over de financiële crisis, werd tien jaar geleden ons discussieplatform opgericht. Een decennium later kijkt Room for Discussion samen met Kees van Dijkhuizen, de CEO van ABN Amro en Arnoud Boot, hoogleraar Ondernemingsfinanciering en Financiële Markten en kroonlid SER, terug op deze ingrijpende en allesomvattende crisis.
Wat: Tien jaar na de Financiële Crisis
Wie: Kees van Dijkhuizen (CEO ABN Amro) en Arnoud Boot (hoogleraar Ondernemingsfinanciering en Financiële Markten, kroonlid SER)
Interviewers: Miguel Krol & Leonie Ernst
Taal: Nederlands
In Edward Glaeser’s ‘Triumph of the City’, published in 2011, he describes how our biggest invention can make us richer, smarter, greener, healthier, and happier. This is mostly caused by economies of scale, and a smaller commuting time for most of us. Next to that, cities are a valuable way to look for innovation, as great minds are more likely to diffuse their knowledge and skills if they are within reach of each other.
But how can these advantages be created, and can the inequality in big cities be reduced? Are cities even the best way of creating a better and greener society, or does the smog and pollution in Asian metropolises prove otherwise?
We discuss these questions with Harvard professor Edward Glaeser.
Interviewers: Kari Spijker & Pierre Lievers
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Our economy seems to become increasingly dependent on creativity. During the industrial era, human resources were generally used to perform repetitive tasks, however the introduction of computers and robots have put stress on these kinds of jobs. Many argue that our current educational system was made to support an industrialising economy and academic institutions, not a service and creativity-based economy.
Should the current educational system be updated to support our creative and fast-paced economy, by putting more emphasis on arts and creativity in schools? These insights open a conversation about educations obsession with science and its rejection of the arts and to what extent our education system is aligned with the economy of the future.
Psychologists have tried to define human motivation for decades and they often distinguish different sources of motivation that influence human behaviour. The current educational system is highly contingent on external motivation, which in some cases might be devastating to creativity, motivation to learn and curiosity. There are calls to orientate this rigid system more towards children's internal motivation to learn.
We will discuss these trends with the current minister of Education in The Netherlands, Ingrid van Engelshoven (D66).
Interviewers: Olaf Vrijmoet & Leonie Ernst
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Since the financial crisis in 2008, the prevences of investors radically changed. Lots of investors moved from riskier actively managed funds (aimed at outperforming the market) to passively managed funds (which follow the market).
This financial change has expanded the assets under management of already big institutional assets managers, turning them into giants!
Recent studies have shown that these managers are the largest shareholders of 88% of the S&P500 firms. The three biggest investment funds, BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street, have assests under management similar to the GDP of the entire United States!
These institutional managers, the evidence shows us, would benefit from overall industry wide success and not individual firm success.
Therefore, the question is raised: are passive investors exerting influence on firms they own to compete less?
If this is true, what will be the responses of the government? How would breaking up the big three be?
And what is the impact of these enormous influencial firms on consumer welfare? Has financial theory forgotten about consumers?
José Azar received his Ph.D. and master's degree in Economics from Princeton University, and now is Assistant Professor of economics at the IESE Business School.
Anna holds a Ph.D. from the University College London (UCL) Faculty of Laws, and now is a Senior Lecturer at Lund University Faculty of Law, publishing about Antitrust/Competition Law and Corporate Governance.
Interviewer: Reinier de Bruin
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
During this interview we will discuss how much of our personal data can actually be extracted from the internet. What is it used for? And how does the GDPR impact that? But another interesting question is how we feel about the use of data by companies. Research has shown that over 90% over e-commerce customers don’t trust companies to keep their data secure, yet they still use those websites. Why is there such a discrepancy between our distrust and our behavior?
With us will be Annika Sponselee, partner at Deloitte Risk Advisory and global and north western Europe leader in GDPR knowledge. She will give her perspective on why privacy management is important within companies and what the GDPR will bring.
Els de Busser is specialised in the legal side of privacy. She will bring her knowledge on what privacy means in current law, why it is or is not important to safeguard and why privacy is the easiest value to be trumped by others.
Interviewers: Lisa Schallenberg & Joshua Nooij
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Since the bankruptcy of Lehman brothers ten years ago, we have experienced a financial meltdown, the start of Room for Discussion, a sovereign debt crisis and the introduction of unorthodox monetary policy. To fight against the consequences of the crisis, the European Central Bank followed the major central banks of the world and implemented quantitative easing (QE). Now that the economy is blooming, banks are better capitalized and the exit of QE is in sight. How does Governor Knot look back ten years after the crisis? And are we in safe waters, capable of preventing a future crises?
Moreover, as the situation—at least on paper—normalises, policymakers in Europe lead by the French government and the new German coalition, are looking into furthering European integration. As the official monetary regulator and price stabiliser of the EU, the ECB must play an important role. How will the ECB manoeuvre these rough political waters? Can the success of greater monetary union--through the banking union--be followed by success on the fiscal side?
Interviewers: Santiago Diaz & Olaf Vrijmoet
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
At Room for Discussion we engaged in a discussion about voting behaviour, populism and the future of the left. Why do people vote in the first place? And which factors determine whether someone votes to further their own self interest or in line with their idea of an ideal society?
Our guest was Didier Eribon, a renowned French author and philosopher and Professor of Sociology at the University of Amiens. His latest work, Returning to Reims (which became a bestseller in Germany and has just been translated into Dutch) assesses how class, sexual identities and one’s social environment influence people's voting behaviour. The book is a sociological study of the the working classes analysing their voting patterns (from voting for Communist Parties to the Nationalist Parties, e.g. the Front National).
Interviewers: Benji Kusters & Valentina Gianera
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that launched just a few weeks after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, is currently worth an estimated $41 billion. Digital coins like Bitcoin have become a global phenomenon. There are currently just under 1400 different coins in circulation, trading on 190 digital exchanges. How do these coins differentiate themselves, what aspects give them a viable future and do they have the potential to replace currency as we know it?
Cryptocurrencies carry a very ideological philosophy with them. Blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies, could facilitate a world that enables us to trust strangers without a third party necessary to verify transactions. This has the potential to change our lives and threaten the position of established ‘trust-based’ institutions. What would this blockchain ruled world, without intermediaries, look like?
Our guests for this session are Masahiro Yasu (Founder and CEO of Alis—the first Japanese social media platform using blockchain) and Alfred Prevoo (financial economist and former supervisor at the European Central Bank. Currently managing an investment institution focused on cryptocurrencies)
Interviewers: Joshua Nooij & Olaf Vrijmoet
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
On the 4th of March the Italian general elections take place. As the Italian economy has not yet fully recovered from a severe recession and people are unsatisfied with the solutions proposed to tackle the migration crisis, there is a lot at stake. But how come that the third-largest economy in Europe is not growing the way it should? What is it that the Italians are discontent with?
We will discuss this and more with Massimo Giuliodori (Professor of empirical macroeconomics at the University of Amsterdam) and Lorenzo Marsili (Author, political activist and member of Diem25)
Interviewers: Sara Joelle Baars & Paolo Destilo
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
The goal of the EIB is to finance projects that bring about European integration and social cohesion. How do projects get chosen and where in the European economy lay underutilized opportunities to reach this goal? Werner Hoyer believes for instance there is an overall investment gap in the European Union, stating that our infrastructure spending is at a 20-year low.
And even though the Eurozone is on a solid recovery to high growth, it still faces great challenges to overcome future crises. The economic divergence between the North and South, and high private debt levels are examples that there is still a lot to be done. How does the EIB fit into this picture, and should it increase its mandate in order to face contemporary economic challenges?
Interviewers: Miguel Krol & Santiago Diaz Jaramillo
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
In this interview, Rutger Bregman (Dutch journalist and advocate for a universal basic income) debates Hilmar Schneider (Director of the institute of Labour Economics in Bonn) on the necessity and the feasibility of a Universal Basic Income.
Interviewers: Miguel Krol and Olaf Vrijmoet
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Today's guest is one of the most prominent voices in the current globalization debate: political Economist at Harvard University and author of the bestseller 'The Globalization Paradox', Dani Rodrik.
In this interview we discuss the myths that lay behind the case for economic global integration, but also the opportunities of wealth creation that it enables. Should we embark on a path to deepen globalisation, or should we praise sovereign states flourishing side by side like in the Bretton Woods era?
Interviewers: Jochem Jordaan and Miguel Krol
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Cowspiracy has been seen by many people around the globe. It addresses the enormous impact of the animal agriculture on our environment, and why so many environmental organizations seem to ignore this. The movie calls for urgent action and proposes a vegan diet as a solution for our environmental and even poverty issues.
Through the eyes of Kip Andersen, we will explore both the flaws of the livestock industry and the solutions for it. We will talk about Cowspiracy and Kip’s upcoming movie. While doing so we provide deeper insights into both movies and explore the solutions for the future. There will be plenty of space for questions from the audience, but we have limited seating capacity! Be early if you would like to sit instead of stand.
Interviewers: Floris Rijssenbeek and Igno Notermans
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org
Op 14 december 2016 was Thierry Baudet te gast bij Room for Discussion. Hij sprak over zijn visie op de Nederlandse politiek en over zijn net opgerichte partij Forum voor Democratie.
Interviewers: Jeppe van Aubel en Lauren Heeremans
Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org