Room for Discussion celebrates its anniversary: “The fossil fuel industry doesn’t come here for compliments”
Room for Discussion celebrates its 15th anniversary in October. The debate platform has seen many interesting guests come along during that time, but has the pool of ideas now dried up? “It’s getting harder and harder,” says interviewer and committee member Koen Blaauw.
What guest has made the most impression on Koen Blaauw (20), in the year and a half he has been conducting interviews at Room for Discussion (RfD)? Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Netherlands. “He was aware that UvA students are critical of him, but saw it precisely as an opportunity to reflect on his work,” he explains. Blaauw appreciates that, alongside Ella Otterbeck and Filippo Talenti, committee member (board position) of Room for Discussion and, in his own words, one of the “seniors” at the platform, due to the rapid turnover of interviewers.
He continues: “For people from the fossil fuel industry, Room for Discussion is certainly not a place you go to get compliments...” A demonstration is more likely. Or even threatening words from activists, as happened to former Shell top executive Jeroen van der Veer last year. The UvA board expressed outrage, and shortly thereafter, Van der Veer canceled his appearance at Room for Discussion.
But these excesses seem inseparable from the relevant and socially engaged debate forum that Room for Discussion has become. After all, they are not new. The arrival of Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson was also met with fierce criticism in 2018. Some 80 UvA employees spoke out against it, demanding an additional guest to counterbalance Peterson.
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Christine Lagarde and Thomas Piketty
This interview with Peterson took place in honor of the 10th anniversary of Room for Discussion, initially founded to discuss the 2008 financial crisis. Now its third anniversary is upon us.
In the meantime, the list of big names who once hosted RfD has only grown longer. As a tribute, the UvA published a list of all the names of people who once sat on RfD’s Chesterfield bench. Among them is the current rector and college president, but also, for example, Christine Lagarde, Thomas Piketty, and Charles Michel. Will RfD continue to succeed in attracting interesting guests? Or is the pool of ideas for Blaauw and his colleagues as good as empty?
“It’s getting harder and harder,” Blaauw acknowledges. Fifteen years ago, the focus was very much on speakers associated with economics or business economics. Then Room for Discussion started to broaden. “For example, we recently invited several anthropologists. So we are trying to expand and diversify somewhat.”
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Mark Rutte and Geert Wilders?
Among those scheduled for the upcoming anniversary are outgoing ministers Robbert Dijkgraaf (OCW) and Kajsa Ollongren (Defense), as well as KLM’s CEO Marjan Rintel and NATO’s top military officer, Rob Bauer. The latter might well work closely with another Dutchman whom Blaauw would like to welcome to Room for Discussion, namely Mark Rutte. That won’t be easy, however.
“I just got a call yesterday that it won’t work out in the near future,” says Blaauw. Has RfD already tried Geert Wilders? “Yes, definitely, one of my fellow committee members asked him. But Wilders never replies to our invitations...”
Who is invited depends on who you ask at Room for Discussion, Blaauw contends. “I am studying political science, so with me, you are more likely to end up with people like Rutte and Wilders, but my (former) committee members are studying something else and wanted to invite cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and theater director Ivo van Hove, for example.”
It is a tactic of RfD to create a pool of interviewers with different study backgrounds, so that as many people from different professions as possible are considered and not just (business) economists, as before. We can go on like this for a while, Blaauw hopes, on to the next anniversary.
Prior to the European Parliament elections in June, Room for Discussion will be organizing a major election debate. The names of participating guests will be announced at a later date.
