Previous events:

Selection from the Committee:

Sol Zeev Ben Mordehai

Verkiezingsserie: Rob Jetten, leider van D66

Oct 8, 2025 | 13:00:00 - 14:00:00

“In the run-up to last year’s pivotal Dutch general election, political debate across the Netherlands centred on the future direction of the country, from the housing shortage and the future of education to pursuing ambitious climate goals amid growing geopolitical and economic pressures. Current members Zahra and Gabe interviewed Rob Jetten, at the time lead candidate for D66 and now Prime Minister of the Netherlands, as part of Room for Discussion’s election series. Even after the vandalism of his party’s headquarters after a far-right protest, Rob Jetten continued to promote optimism under the slogan “It can be done”. If you need some political optimism and these topics, and more, sound interesting, then this is the interview for you!”

This week in:

2025

Amsterdam 750: a Conversation with Mayor Femke Halsema

Oct 30, 2025 | 15:00:00 - 16:00:00

Boiling the Frog – The Risks We’re Not Ready For with DNB President Olaf Sleijpen

October 9 | 13:00 - 14:00

Femke Halsema

October 30, 2025

In this interview, Mayor Femke Halsema discusses the challenges and opportunities facing Amsterdam as it celebrates its 750th anniversary. She addresses the pressures of tourism, housing affordability, and social divides, emphasizing the importance of maintaining Amsterdam's diverse and open character. Halsema also reflects on the city's resilience and the need for public investment to support its growth. She touches on her role in managing public safety and the political pressures she faces, while expressing her commitment to human rights and democracy.

"Steel is everywhere around us. We are sitting here below steel and without this steel structure, we would not be sitting here."

— Hans van den Berg in The Cost of Steel: Health, Environment, & Responsibility – Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel NL, April 24, 2023

Room for Discussion is the interview platform of the University of Amsterdam. We organise interviews with professors, entrepreneurs, economists, politicians, philosophers, CEOs and journalists to discuss relevant economic topics and recent events.