Podcast
Room for Discussion
Hosted by Room for Discussion · EN
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.
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
From Tulips to Turmoil: Ambassador Fatma Ceren Yazgan on Türkiye in Transition
1w ago01:03:41Tap to summarizeWith 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.
Transcribe →When Germany Sneezes, Europe Catches a Cold - A Conversation with Economist Marcel Fratzscher
3w ago01:02:15Tap to summarizeGermany 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?
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Balancing BRICS and Beyond: A conversation with Dutch Ambassador to South-Africa Joanne Doornewaard
3w ago00:57:00Tap to summarizeThe 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.
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The Pursuit of More: Evan Osnos on Prosperity in China and the US
3w ago00:55:04Tap to summarizeWhat 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.
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Sticking Up for the Human(ities): SSE President Lars Strannegård on Rethinking Education
3w ago01:05:47Tap to summarizeWhile 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.
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A Tale of Two Americas (at War): Aviva Chomsky on Latin American History
3w ago00:58:48Tap to summarizeWhat 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!
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Marco Buti- On the Future of the EU
3w ago01:00:13Tap to summarizeEurope 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.
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CSR Debate 2026 – with party leaders of INTER, Activisten Partij, Vrije Student and UVAsociaal
4w ago01:01:52Tap to summarize🫵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
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Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Postwar Paralysis – Conversation with High Representative Christian Schmidt
4w ago01:00:15Tap to summarize❗️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
Transcribe →Dr. Christine Webb On the Exceptionalism of Human Arrogance
4w ago01:07:17Tap to summarizeHuman 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.
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