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

Olivier Blanchard: Former Chief Economist of the IMF

Oct 29, 2020 | 11:00 - 12:00

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

October 28 | 14:00 - 15:00

Tom Middendorp

May 17, 2023

In this interview, Tom Middendorp, former commander of the Dutch armed forces, discusses the intersection of climate change and security. He shares insights from his career, highlighting how climate change acts as a risk multiplier in conflict zones and emphasizes the importance of addressing root causes of conflicts. Middendorp also discusses the need for the military to adopt sustainable practices and how climate change should be a central theme in security policies.

"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.