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:

2021

Herman Tjeenk Willink: Her verval van de staat

Nov 8, 2021 | 13:00 - 14:00

1708 Days of Full-Scale Invasion: With Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Kostin

October 28 | 14:00 - 15:00

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.

"Democracy is about responsibility first of all. Everybody can contribute into the fight and just do what he or she can on his or her place."

— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Toppling “Europe’s Last Dictator”: A Conversation with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, January 14, 2025

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.