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🎙 Together with Laurent Richard, investigative journalist of 25+ years, Emmy-winning documentarian for his series on Pegasus, and founder of Forbidden Stories, we will discuss the implications of declining press freedoms and increasing threats to journalists around the world. 🔗: https://roomfordiscussion.com/ 📸: https://www.instagram.com/roomfordiscussion/

Grocery prices are increasing, Meta flaunts its dominant position on the market, and the Paramount acquisition of WarnerBros marks an era of massive media consolidation. It seems that companies hold all the power, but who can hold them accountable?Join us on 20th of May, 13:00-14:00 at the REC E-Hall for an interview with Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). We will zoom in on consumer protection, discuss how to regulate without stifling innovation, the political implications of regulatory policy, and look at ongoing cases currently handled by the ACM.Whether an avid shopper or a competition policy enthusiast, do not miss the chance to understand what is done to protect your consumer rights!

Few academic concepts have travelled as far as intersectionality. Coined nearly four decades ago, it transformed how we think about race, gender, power, and inequality, while also becoming one of the most debated ideas of our time. We were thrilled to welcome Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar, author of Backtalker: An American Memoir, co-founder of Critical Race Theory, and the person behind intersectionality. Drawing on both her personal journey and decades of academic work, we explore the origins of intersectionality, the backlash against Critical Race Theory and what the ongoing debates around race, identity and democracy reveal about the United States and Europe today.

Palestine, Sudan, Iran. Global conflicts dominate the headlines every day. But what does it actually take to build lasting peace? And who gets to decide what that peace looks like? Together with Paige Alexander, the CEO of the Carter Center, we explore the role of the international community in conflict resolution, democracy promotion, and the politics of peacebuilding. Founded by former US President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter to advance human rights worldwide, the Carter Center is now active in peace and development efforts across the globe. Drawing on decades of experience, Alexander will discuss how peace is negotiated, how local communities shape outcomes, and what it would take to achieve lasting peace in Palestine.

With war at its doorstep, Türkiye is once again in the middle of geopolitical turmoil. Whether it’s the Syrian refugee crisis, the war in Gaza, or the closure of the strait of Hormuz, Türkiye has had to consistently re-balance and re-negotiate its partnerships.  Turkish Ambassador H.E. Fatma Ceren Yazgan will join us to talk about how Türkiye does this in practice. With a long career as a high ranking diplomat and civil servant, she offers firsthand experience into the complexities of Turkish politics.

Germany has been Europe’s economic engine for quite some time, both its industrial powerhouse and fiscal anchor in times of deep uncertainty. While Southern Europe suffered deep recessions during the Eurocrisis, Germany maintained low unemployment and a massive trade surplus. After 5 years of economic stagnation induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, that role is now under strain.  In a conversation with Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research, we examine whether Germany can still fulfill that role or whether structural pressures are permanently reshaping its role within Europe. As its export-driven model comes under strain and fiscal constraints limit large-scale investment, a key question emerges: Will Germany continue to be the economic engine Europe can look up to?

The relationship between the Netherlands and South Africa stretches back centuries, shaped by both painful history and meaningful cooperation. It includes dark chapters, such as the Netherlands’ role in using South Africa as part of the slave trade, but also moments of solidarity, including the Netherlands’ early opposition to apartheid and its current position as one of South Africa’s key economic partners.   To explore this complex and evolving relationship, we will be joined by Joanne Doornewaard. As an experienced diplomat, she will help unpack the history, tensions, and opportunities that continue to define this important partnership.   How have Dutch interests in South Africa changed over time? What do South Africa’s alignments within BRICS mean for the future of bilateral relations? And in an increasingly transactional geopolitical landscape, what would it take to build a relationship that is genuinely cooperative?   Join us on 6 May at the E-Hall for a timely conversation on the past, present, and future of Dutch–South African relations.

What happens when wealth does not just buy comfort, but an entirely different reality? When power does not mean responsibility anymore, but the option to escape all consequences? When ambition turns into status anxiety?   From rural China to billionaire bunkers, Evan Osnos gets up close to people, telling bigger stories through human details. These stories trace how pursuit, aspiration and prosperity evolve in radically different systems at a time of widening inequality and political shifts.  The New Yorker journalist and author Evan Osnos will discuss with us the intersection of ambition, power and inequality in the E-Hall on Tuesday, April 13th, from 13:00-14:00.

While the way we live has changed a lot in the last few years, the way we learn has remained largely the same. Our education systems have stagnated, relying on inflexible grading systems and standardized tests, as they need to conform to the demands of the job market. Is now the time for academia to adapt and implement a more holistic approach to learning?  Professor Lars Strannegård, president of the Stockholm School of Economics and author of Senses of Knowing: A Celebration of the Pursuit of Knowledge, argues that it is. He has long advocated for a change in the way we are educated. Instead of receiving a highly specialised ‘training’, he argues that education should be understood as ‘cultivation’, striving to shape well-rounded and responsible citizens equipped to face an increasingly complex world. Join Professor Strannegård and us to explore how incorporating the arts & humanities into other disciplines can foster critical thinking and prepare our educational systems for the age of AI.

What does it mean when the United States bombs a neighboring country, seizes its president, and flies him to New York to face criminal charges? Days into 2026, US forces launched a dramatic operation in Venezuela, bombing targets in Caracas and capturing President Nicolás Maduro. Such flagrant violations of sovereignty and international law beget the questions: why does the US act this way in the Americas? And what is the history of intervention that makes this seem possible?  From Venezuela to Cuba and beyond, we’ll be discussing the Americas’ interdependence with Aviva Chomsky, professor of history and Latin American Studies. Having been active in the Latin American solidarity and immigrants’ rights movements for decades, she’ll be unpacking the myths of open markets and closed borders, and how interventions continue to shape national histories in the region.  Join us for a conversation about the asymmetric interdependence between the US and Latin America!

Europe is entering a period of growing fragmentation. Rising defence pressures, economic stagnation, and geopolitical dependence are colliding at a moment when the European Union appears increasingly unable to act collectively. We welcome Marco Buti, former Director General for Economic and Financial Affairs at the European Commission and one of the key figures behind Europe’s response to the Eurozone crisis. In this discussion, we discuss the future of the European project; from austerity and common debt to defense spending, industrial policy, and the growing tension between national interests and collective European action.

🫵Student well-being, collaborations with other countries and affordability of education. These are all issues in which the Central Student Council, the CSR, has influence over decisions made by the UvA which have tangible effects on the daily life of all students.Vote here: https://uva.digitaleverkiezing.nl/🗳️To make your voice heard and shape those decisions, you should cast your vote in the upcoming elections to the CSR and to the faculty student councils! The digital ballot boxes are open between the 11th to the 16th of May.💡There is no better place to inform yourself about the positions of the parties than the annual CSR debate, hosted by Room for Discussion. The four biggest parties are going to join us; Activistenpartij, De Vrije Student UvA Sociaal, and INTER. If you are unsure of who to vote for, this is the perfect opportunity to inform yourself.🙋There will be a lot of time for questions from the audience. Come to ask your questions and engage with student politics!The debate took place on Monday, 11th of May 2026.---------------------------------Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here:* Website: http://roomfordiscussion.com* Facebook: http://facebook.com/RoomforDiscussion* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roomfordiscussion * Twitter: http://twitter.com/Room4Discussion

❗️On11th of May, Christian Schmidt announced that he will step down as High Representative for Bosnia and Hercegovina as soon as his successor is found. This interview took place on Wednesday, April 22nd at Roeterseiland Campus Thirty years after the end of one of Europe's bloodiest post-Cold War conflicts, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains caught between promise and paralysis. Ethnic power-sharing is deadlocked, a separatist leader backed by Moscow, an EU membership prospect nobody believes in, and over a million young people who have already left. 🧑‍⚖️ At the centre of it all stands the High Representative Christian Schmidt, the most powerful figure in Bosnia, with sweeping authority to impose laws and dismiss officials - elected not by the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina but by a foreign entity.  🕊️ Is Bosnia a success story of international peacebuilding or a tale of what happens with too much foreign influence? And what does it reveal about the competing spheres of influence of the West and Russia?  We explore these questions with none other than the current High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina himself, Christian Schmidt.  Do you want to see more interviews and be the first to hear about upcoming guests? Follow us here: Website: http://roomfordiscussion.comFacebook:   / roomfordiscussion  Instagram:   / roomfordiscussion   Twitter:   / room4discussion

Human exceptionalism, the idea that humans are intellectually, morally and socially superior to other lifeforms on this planet, is so fundamental that we barely recognise that it is there. Dr. Christine Webb is assistant professor of environmental studies at New York University and Author of recently published The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters and lecturer of a course at Harvard University of the same name. In this discussion, we examine the myriad of scientific and philosophical findings that challenge the human superiority complex, how our relationship to other living beings can be reframed, and what we stand to gain from stepping out of our preconceived notions on plant and animal intelligence.

“The billionaires’ nightmare”, “Rockstar Economist”, or “far-left activist”, Professor Gabriel Zucman goes by many names.With Elon Musk on his way to reaching trillionaire status, public debt accelerating, and far-right parties threatening democratic institutions, a consensus is emerging that economic inequality is reaching excessive levels. The most important question now becomes not why, but how we tax the rich.Zucman is one of the world's foremost experts on economic inequality, tax havens and wealth taxation. Having picked up the torch from his colleague Thomas Piketty, he is increasingly the face of a French and global movement for taxation of the tax-avoiding ultra-wealthy and multinational corporations.