Room for Discussion

Room for Discussion
  • 5.0 (1)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Room for Discussion conducts free live interviews at the University of Amsterdam, with leading voices in politics, economics, journalism and more. Each interview is fully led and conducted by students.

  1. CSR Debate 2026 – with party leaders of INTER, Activisten Partij, Vrije Student and UVAsociaal

    1D AGO

    CSR Debate 2026 – with party leaders of INTER, Activisten Partij, Vrije Student and UVAsociaal

    🫵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

    1h 2m
  2. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Postwar Paralysis – Conversation with High Representative Christian Schmidt

    3D AGO

    Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Postwar Paralysis – Conversation with High Representative Christian Schmidt

    ❗️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

    1 hr

  3. 5D AGO

    Dr. Christine Webb On the Exceptionalism of Human Arrogance

    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.

    1h 7m

  4. APR 13

    Tax the rich! Sure, but how? - A Discussion with Gabriel Zucman

    “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.

    58 min

  5. APR 13

    Appetite for Change - Financial Market Reform with Ann Pettifor

    We are living through a collision of overlapping crises: an increasing cost-of-living, climate change and a deepening state of political disillusionment. While these issues are often treated as isolated government failures, our next guest argues that they share a single, predatory origin: the Global Casino, commonly known as the international financial market.We were thrilled to welcome Ann Pettifor, the political economist who famously predicted the 2007/08 crash. Drawing on findings from her major works, The Case for a Green New Deal and The Global Casino, we will tell the story of the "top dogs" of finance and the "pretend-powerless" governments that gamble away at the Casino table.

    1h 1m

  6. APR 13

    The Original Sinn – Limits to European Integration with Hans-Werner Sinn

    Fifteen years on from the Eurozone crisis, with surging public debt, increasing climate risks, rising geopolitical tensions, and a constant need for monetary injections, the need for change in Europe has never been more obvious. But how do we get there? Is more or less integration the answer that we need?Can a monetary union survive without a fiscal one and if not, who is there to bear its cost?As the transatlantic relationship weakens and Europe navigates an increasingly multipolar world, economic questions collide with geopolitical realities. Is federalisation the price of relevance, or an unrealistic ambition in a union marked by divergent interests, asymmetric shocks, and rising euro-skepticism?To give some sense to these pressing questions, we are joined by one of the most prominent and uncompromising critics of European monetary and fiscal designs, Hans-Werner Sinn. Drawing on his role in the debates surrounding the eurozone crisis, and his opposition to key ECB policies, he will offer a candid assessment of what has changed, what has not, and what lies ahead.

    1 hr

  7. APR 13

    From Statecraft to Standards: Governing Business and Human Rights in Myanmar

    Myanmar remains one of the world’s most repressive states. Political prisoners fill its jails, civil freedoms are crushed, and the military junta presses ahead with sham elections while defending itself at the International Court of Justice. What responsibilities do foreign governments and businesses realistically pursue in such a context? Who is tasked with upholding international human rights standards, and what happens when those individuals themselves become targets?Join us for a compelling conversation with Vicky Bowman, former UK Ambassador to Myanmar and Director of the now closed Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business. Drawing on her experience as a diplomat, business adviser, and former political prisoner of the junta, Bowman offers rare, firsthand insight into the real cost of defending human rights under authoritarian rule.As Myanmar faces an uncertain future with no clear path to democracy or peace, this is a timely and urgent discussion on power, accountability, and the consequences of resistance.

    54 min

  8. APR 13

    Words and Weapons with Ambassador Ammar Hijazi, Head of the Palestinian Mission to the Netherlands

    Without formal recognition from the Netherlands, the Palestinian Mission is forced to rely on law, institutions, and words in a political landscape where others wield hard power. These constraints shape every aspect of how Palestine is represented internationally, even amidst what the UNHRC classifies as a genocide. Together with Ambassador Ammar Hijazi (Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to International Organizations in The Hague), we explore what it means to represent Palestine today. How can legal arguments compete with political and military power? What does negotiation look like under such conditions? Where does diplomacy reach its limits? And, what will the future of Palestine look like?This interview is organized in collaboration with the Arab Student Association Amsterdam.

    1h 1m
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About

Room for Discussion conducts free live interviews at the University of Amsterdam, with leading voices in politics, economics, journalism and more. Each interview is fully led and conducted by students.

Information

  • Creator
    Room for Discussion
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    155
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Room for Discussion
  • Show Website
    Room for Discussion

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