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:

2020

Following the Chain: The Economics of Drug-trafficking

Oct 27, 2020 | 13:00 - 14:00

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

October 9 | 13:00 - 14:00

Investigative Journalism with Patrick Radden Keefe

October 1, 2026

From exposing the Sackler dynasty’s role in the opioid crisis to investigating the Northern Irish Troubles, Russian oligarchs, and organized crime, Patrick Radden Keefe has built a career uncovering stories that powerful people would rather keep hidden. We were thrilled to welcome Patrick Radden Keefe, award-winning investigative journalist at The New Yorker and bestselling author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing. In this discussion, we explore the art of investigative journalism, the challenges of uncovering deeply buried secrets and how Keefe transforms stories of crime, power, and institutional silence into compelling narratives.

"The first and number one fight for the Palestinian people is to be on the table and to be recognized as equals, amongst equals."

— Ammar Hijazi in RfD x ASAA: Words and Weapons with Ambassador Ammar Hijazi, Head of the Palestinian Mission to the Netherlands, February 3, 2026

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.