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!”

Regulating the Unregulatable: Prof. Christoph Knill on Wicked Problems

September 23 | 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.

"The monetary system, as it's evolved over history, I regard as a wonderful thing. It's enabled us to do what we can do. Unfortunately, it has been captured."

— Ann Pettifor in Appetite for Change, Financial market reform with Ann Pettifor, February 17, 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.