Room For Discussion

What role does morality play in communication? How are moral messages cognitively processed, how are they represented in the neural realm, and in what way do they motivate behavior? For our first episode of 'The Ivory Tower', we will be speaking to Dr. Frederic Hopp. Frederic is Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam's School of Communication Research.During this episode we discuss an article that was recently published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. We break down its method and theoretical foundation, explore avenues for future research, and Frederic tells us a bit about his formation as an academic. The link to the paper: 'Moral foundations elicit shared and dissociable cortical activation modulated by political ideology'. More about Frederic: https://fhopp.github.ioMore about us: Our Website Our Instagram Our Twitter Our Linkedin 

What do the Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, and Johan Cruijff have in common? All have them have been interviewed by Twan Huys, the most prominent interviewer and journalist in the Netherlands. He has seen the political and social environment change tremendously over the last decades and has talked to some of the most prominent makers and shakers of our current world to make sense of it. Room for Discussion is thrilled to welcome Twan Huys, host of College Tour and Buitenhof. He has interviewed countless of famous guest, held Dutch politicians accountable and shaped the public debate in The Netherlands like no one else. Now he is here to share his perspective on how the public climate has changed and where we go from here. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!

In 1969 the Dutch security services opened a file on a 17 year old boy. His name was Derk Sauer. Later he founded his own publishing firm with Crown Jewel the Moscow Times, and to this day one of the few independent russian media outlets. The question now is: How will independent Russian media survive?

Geert Wilders’ PVV recent election win is the latest addition to a trend of far-right populists winning big elections. Spanning from Argentina with Javier Melei to Italy with Giorgia Meloni, the Far Right seems to be on rise.There is no one better to talk about these events than Cas Mudde, the preeminent scholar on populism and the Far Right.

Room for Discussion is excited to announce our interview with political jack-of-all-trades, Dutch top diplomat Tom de Bruijn.Having worked as a diplomat, ambassador, government official, minister, and mayor for decades – his extensive experience in navigating politics at a variety of levels from guiding the formation of EU treaties to negotiating the formation of municipal councils informs his broad view on the inner workings of government and diplomacy. Throughout, he has gained a unique view on the role of the Netherlands within the European Union and the broader Euro-Atlantic community, with his career taking him from the Hague to Brussels and Geneva.Looking back, what does he expect the future of the European Union to look like? How does the Netherlands fit into this with the recent victory of eurosceptic Geert Wilders? How much has changed for the Dutch appetite for increased EU accession since de Bruijn was involved in drafting the 2014 association agreement with Ukraine?If you’re interested to discover

What does BMW and the Nazi regime have in common? In what ways is the generational wealth of former Nazi supporters connected to contemporary German politics? How have Nazi Billionaires escaped accountability? Investigative Journalist David de Jong spent four years researching the history of Germany’s wealthiest families. In his book ‘Nazi Billionaires’, he explores 5 families, their hidden hand in Germany’s dark past, and their continued presence in contemporary politics.

What do you think of global governance’s failure to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement? What do you think of the court decision that ordered Shell to reduce all emissions by 45% by 2030? And if we live in a world where the Dutch government spends €37.5 billion on fossil subsidies on a yearly basis, does this mean that we need more Climate Activism? And if so, in which way?On October 11th (13:00-14:00) Room for Discussion will interview Donald Pols, the director of Milieudefensie. Notorious for their court case against Shell, their research on fossil subsidies and their efforts to “hijack” the shareholder meetings of large multinationals, Milieudefensie has been leading the forefront of climate activism. Join this conversation in which we discuss a roadmap for Climate action and activism.

Beyond the Negotiating Table: An expert’s View on Diplomacy.Kees van Rij is one of the Netherland’s most trusted diplomats, having held ambassadorships in Greece, Turkey, Spain and Brazil. From negotiating with dictators like Vladimir Putin, Muammar Gaddafi or Kim Jong-un to helping craft EU policy, Kees van Rij has been trusted with many of the major diplomatic issues over the past decades.He will share with us his many experiences and try to answer all our questions concerning diplomacy.

Eurojust, is a prominent legal agency at the forefront of the fight against transnational crime in Europe. From combating organised crime to terrorism, Eurojust is involved in resolving a wide range of cross-border conflicts.To discuss the intricacies of Eurojust’s operations and the significant role it plays in ensuring cross-border justice, we will be joined by Ladislav Hamran, the President of Eurojust. What strategies does Eurojust employ? How is cooperation between member states achieved? How is law and justice changing in our evolving society?

Currently, Tata Steel NL is the biggest emitter of CO2 and nitrogen in the Netherlands, and links have been made between their factory’s emissions and higher-than-average cancer rates in communities that live close to their factories. As a response, the company is planning to detox their emissions and pivot to Green Steel production, which they will power with green hydrogen. Still, the future of the company in the Netherlands remains far from certain, and they are facing backlash from many directions in Dutch society.

Climate change is one of the most defining challenges of our time, but what’s really the best way to tackle the issue and create a more sustainable future for all?Bjørn Lomborg’s has an answer: an alternative that challenges the mainstream narrative on climate change, which has earned him both praise and criticism. He tries to address the critical trade-offs between climate, sustainability, and welfare that we will need to make in the 21st century. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with an influential voice in this important discussion about what the future of our fight against climate change should be!Bjørn Lomborg will join for an interview at Room for Discussion on May 10th, 13-14h in the E-Hall

Tom Middendorp werd uitgezonden naar Somalië en verwachtte daar te moeten strijden tegen nietsontziende piraten. Het bleken wanhopige vissers die door klimaatverandering steeds minder inkomsten hebben. In Afghanistan zag hij met eigen ogen hoe de taliban waterschaarste inzette als machtsmiddel. Daarom besloot hij na zijn aftreden als commandant der strijdkrachten zich te verdiepen in het klimaatprobleem en de veiligheidsrisico's die deze met zich meebrengt. Inmiddels ziet hij de smeltende ijskappen van de Noordpool als het volgende potentiële oorlogsgebied.

Julian Assange. Salman Rushdie. Mike Tyson. Lula da Silva. The Wall Street Journal. The New York Times.What do all these have in common? They were defended by Geoffrey Robertson KC.He helped prosecute warlords and dictators like General Pinochet, was the President of the War Crimes Court in Sierra Leone, and fought for human rights everywhere from Armenia to Yugoslavia, Colombia to Czechoslovakia, South Africa to South London.He founded one of the world’s leading human rights law chambers working with the likes of Kier Starmer and Amal Clooney.

From bitter football rivalries to beer preferences, the Dutch and Germans have a long and complicated history. As a Dutchman living and working in Germany, Ambassador Ronald van Roeden knows firsthand about the stereotypes and cliches that surround these two countries. In our interview, he shares his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing these two countries in a changing geopolitical landscape.

Ingrid Thijssen is the chair of the Dutch Employers lobby, VNO NCW. She has been called the ‘most powerful lobbyist’ in the Netherlands. On behalf of the Dutch Businesses, she has been warning about the business climate of Holland. According to her, this is deteriorating to a point at which many companies are contemplating leaving the Netherlands. Ms. Thijssens career started in NS public transport, where she climbed the corporate ladder to CEO. After 21 years, she moved on to and became CEO of Alliander. She was the Top businesswoman of the year in 2016.

Ernst Kuipers became a household name during the pandemic: a wise former doctor who helped guide the medical response to COVID-19. Now, he’s no longer just a medical expert: he’s a D66 politician.

The Red Cross is the World’s largest humanitarian network organisation working on helping people in need during emergencies, conflicts and disasters. When we watch the news we see crisis after crisis unfold, the Red Cross is often the organisation working at the scene to help those who need help the most. From emergency response to war aftercare and victim support, the Red Cross does it all.In this interview we will look at how the Red Cross NL chooses their cases, how they prepare for emergencies and how they help those who need their help.

[Audio is choppy only in the first few minutes, after that it gets better] What is a Status Game? How do people react and cope with losing status games? And how do we win the Status Game? Find this out and much more in our interview with Will Storr!---------------------------------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