RfD | April: 🇺🇦 Ukraine, 📚 Education, & 💰 Economics
To our Room for Discussion Community,
March was intense! Eight Room for Discussion events happened, among them three of our Lustrum Interviews, and held in store a lot of work, some surprises and, most importantly, very rewarding and necessary debates.
As exams have now passed and spring in full swing, we invite you to take a look at everything that happened in Room for Discussion in the last month and get a glimpse about what’s coming up in April.
Enjoy the treats!
Future Interviews
What’s coming up in April? 🇺🇦📚💰
Introducing: An interview series about the Russian war in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin's bold invasion of Ukraine in 2022, building on the aggression initiated in 2014, has thrust Europe back into the throes of war, igniting the fiercest battles the continent has seen since World War II. Ukraine’s fight for independence has come to represent more than a battle for their nationhood; it’s a fight for democracy and the ideals of freedom, something that resonates deeply with people across the continent.Â
In the steady stream of media coverage surrounding the war, the noticeable lack of the Ukrainian perspective stands out. That’s why we are pleased to announce an upcoming special series of interviews that will offer a Ukrainian perspective. These interviews will offer a unique perspective from people actively engaged in the conflict.
If you are interested to hear about modern warfare tactics, rehabilitation efforts, and the impactful role of volunteering during this conflict, then this series is for you!
Ukraine Series: Yehor Soboliev -- 9st of April, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
Modern Warfare Tactics with Yehor Soboliev: Join us on April 9th, from 13:00 to 14:00, as Yehor Soboliev, a prominent figure actively involved in the conflict, shares his insights into the modern warfare tactics being employed in Ukraine.
Ukraine Series: Oleksandr Yabchanka -- 16th of April, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
Rehabilitation and Recovery Insights with Oleksandr Yabchanka: On April 16th, from 13:00 to 14:00, Oleksandr Yabchanka will discuss the key aspects of rehabilitation and recovery during war, informed by his own close combat experience.
Paul de Grauwe -- 18th of April, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
When will the next financial crisis happen? How should we balance market powers and government interventions? Are we prepared for the future challenges in the Eurozone? To get answers to those and many other questions, join us for the interview in the E-Hall on April 18th, 14:00-15:00!
Room for Discussion is excited to welcome Paul de Grauwe, a London School of Economics professor, former member of the Belgian parliament, and expert in international monetary relations, monetary integration, and open-economy macroeconomics. Our guest has spent his life advising institutions like (among others the IMF and ECB. As the author of pivotal works on the Eurozone and monetary policy, he offers a unique blend of academic rigor and practical insights. Prepare your questions and be there with us for this thrilling opportunity!
Robbert Dijkgraaf -- 19 april, 16:00-17:00, E-Hal, Roeterseiland (Nederlands)
Ter ere van Room for Discussion's 15 jarige jubileum zal Minister van Onderwijs Robbert Dijkgraaf aanschuiven. In een uur, zal de toekomst van het Nederlandse onderwijs ontleedt worden, bouwend op Minister Dijkgraaf's ervaring binnen de UvA, Princeton, en nu het ministerie. Kom langs voor een gesprek over internationalisering, mentale gezondheid, studieschuld, en meer. - This interview will be held in Dutch.
Hein de Haas -- 22nd of April, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland (English)
Migration has been one of the most pivotal and divisive issues defining the politics of the past decade. Our conversations about the topic are rife with misconceptions and partisan rhetoric. Professor Hein de Haas’s book ‘How Migration Really Works’ draws on more than three decades of research to counter popular myths with evidence and data.Â
Is global migration really at a high? How will climate change shape mass migration, and who benefits economically from immigration? Most importantly, what policies have worked in the past, and why are we sold a completely different story? Join us on the 22nd of April, at 13:00-14:00 in the E-Hall for a discussion with Professor Hein de Haas.
Past Interviews: What happened in March?
Simon Hix -- 1st of March, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland
On March 1st, we spoke to Professor Simon Hix about the upcoming European Parliamentary elections. These elections are incredibly consequential and come at a time of political turmoil, war at the borders, and growing Euroscepticism within the continent. Simon Hix recently released a paper predicting a shift towards the far right in the upcoming elections. Our discussion revolved around the causes for the growing success of populist radical parties. We asked him how a right-ward shift in the parliament could shape the future of EU integration, and what the challenges are to integrate further. Prof. Hix provided an accessible and balanced analysis of the future of European politics.
Community Debate Training -- March 7th
On the 7th of March we had a fun community debate event! First, Saskia, a representative of ASDV Bonaparte gave a training to all the participants and everyone got to know a bit more about the different styles of debating and about how to make a strong argument. Alongside snacks, the first speeches were held and everyone built up courage to do public speeches at the Krater! There were debated about whether Marxism vs Capitalism should be the dominant system on a hypothetical new planet and got to make speeches about everyone’s pet peeves. Thanks to everyone that participated and ASDV Bonaparte for hosting the training.
Lustrum: Sir Nick Clegg -- 11th of March, 14:00-15:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland
Room for Discussion kicked off it’s 15-year Lustrum celebrations with an interview with Sir Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta.Â
The interviewers, Koen and Ella, asked Nick about the interaction of social media and democracy, discussing what Meta has done in the past and will do in the future to ameliorate negative effects. Clegg insisted that Meta invests heavily in moderation and is prepared as best they can for the election year of 2024.
Clegg also shared some interesting insights about the future of Meta; among them, how he thought that connectivity will increase in the coming years.
Brian Klaas -- 12th of March, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland
On 12th of March, Room for Discussion hosted Brian Klaas, an American political scientist specializing in democracy and authoritarianism. In a gripping discussion, Klaas shared his insights about our world which is governed by randomness. We spoke about how the social sciences should move beyond orthodox, tidy model-building and allow room for comprehensive, unorderly knowledge.
The discussion not only encouraged listeners to challenge political science’s current methodology and purpose in favor of a more active role in describing and shaping reality, but Brian also shared some life lessons how we can personally deal well with the unpredictability and randomness of life.
Lustrum: Marjan Rintel -- 14th of March, 14:00-15:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland
On March 14th Marjan Rintel, the CEO of KLM, joined Room for Discussion! On our second 15-year-lustrum interview we were able to deep dive into KLM’s relationship with the government, their business practices, as well as their vision and plans on how to become more sustainable. The conversation we had spanned from industry specific challenges to a larger evaluation on the role of the Dutch state in supporting KLM in the future. With a fair balance of exploration and criticism, we were able to have an enjoyable discussion that catered a number of different interests! The audience was also extremely engaged, and Ms Rintel and her team were really kind in stopping for so long after the session to answer questions and take pictures. Undoubtedly, a day to remember! If you missed it, as always, you can find it on our YouTube channel.
Ingrid Robeyns -- 18th of March, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland
On 18th of March, Room for Discussion hosted Professor Ingrid Robeyns. In the conversation, we critically evaluated moral and economic arguments for and against the wealth cap and discussed the (un)fairness and feasibility of limitarianism.
Robeyns laid out which benefits limiting inequality for democracy and the welfare of society but was also questioned her about the challenges about her approach.
Women+ Panel Discussion -- 19th of March
What are the challenges women face in the business world? Which qualities can women bring to the workplace that men oftentimes lack? Which strategies can we use to address inequality? On the 19th of March, we talked about these and more questions with women who have experience, holding positions in firms in the banking, business and sustainability.
The event organized by SEFA offered participants a lot of room to reflect about their careers and values, exchange first-hand insights about the business world, and most importantly gave them opportunity for honest and personal exchange alongside some snacks and wine.
Lustrum: Admiral Rob Bauer -- 26th of March, 13:00-14:00, E-Hall, Roeterseiland
On March 26th, for our third 15-year-lustrum event, Room for Discussion was set to host Admiral Rob Bauer, Chief of NATO's Military Committee. Interviewers Anna and Jonathan were looking forward to discussing in a critical and exploratory manner the state of the war in Ukraine, NATO’s challenges with coordination with members and the ideals and values that the allied defense organization protects.Â
However, a few minutes in, the in-person interview was forced to be cancelled due to the chanting of protesters who disagreed with our choice to host Admiral Bauer. We were nevertheless able to record the remaining of the interview in a private room, which you can now find on our YouTube channel through the link above.
The whole Room for Discussion team finds last week’s events deeply saddening. Given our aim to foster an open dialogue (especially on the more contentious topics) this is a detrimental loss for our platform. Please find our official statement here.
In the last couple of days the committee received a number of positive and supporting messages, and we would like to thank our community for this! We truly appreciate it, and would like to everyone know that we’re trying our best to avoid a similar situation in the future.
For now, we hope that in the last days of March, you can take a breath and recover a little from the stressful time, maybe even at home with your family.
In April, we are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming interviews. Room for Discussion will be dedicated to be a platform for open, controverse and productive debate! And we are glad that you are supporting us.
All the best,
Room for Discussion Team