Room for Discussion

The retail sector has been changing a lot over the past few years. With innovations such as online shopping and delivery becoming more and more popular, retailers are facing challenges on a daily basis. Solutions are for example the self-scanners at the Albert Heijn, or the service points of Bol.com: all to save you time and make shopping a more time-efficient activity. Albert Heijn, Bol.com, Etos...

Tien Jaar na de Financiële Crisis met Kees van Dijkhuizen (CEO ABN AMRO) en Arnoud Boot (hoogleraar Ondernemingsfinanciering en Financiële Markten) Op 15 september 2008 viel de Amerikaanse bank Lehman Brothers. Deze ondergang was het startschot van een verwoestende financiële crisis. In de mondiale kettingreactie die deze val veroorzaakte werd geen bank gespaard van de schokgolven die door de kapi...

In Edward Glaeser’s ‘Triumph of the City’, published in 2011, he describes how our biggest invention can make us richer, smarter, greener, healthier, and happier. This is mostly caused by economies of scale, and a smaller commuting time for most of us. Next to that, cities are a valuable way to look for innovation, as great minds are more likely to diffuse their knowledge and skills if they are wi...

Our economy seems to become increasingly dependent on creativity. During the industrial era, human resources were generally used to perform repetitive tasks, however the introduction of computers and robots have put stress on these kinds of jobs. Many argue that our current educational system was made to support an industrialising economy and academic institutions, not a service and creativity-bas...

Since the financial crisis in 2008, the prevences of investors radically changed. Lots of investors moved from riskier actively managed funds (aimed at outperforming the market) to passively managed funds (which follow the market). This financial change has expanded the assets under management of already big institutional assets managers, turning them into giants! Recent studies have shown that th...

During this interview we will discuss how much of our personal data can actually be extracted from the internet. What is it used for? And how does the GDPR impact that? But another interesting question is how we feel about the use of data by companies. Research has shown that over 90% over e-commerce customers don’t trust companies to keep their data secure, yet they still use those websites. Why...

Since the bankruptcy of Lehman brothers ten years ago, we have experienced a financial meltdown, the start of Room for Discussion, a sovereign debt crisis and the introduction of unorthodox monetary policy. To fight against the consequences of the crisis, the European Central Bank followed the major central banks of the world and implemented quantitative easing (QE). Now that the economy is bloomi...

At Room for Discussion we engaged in a discussion about voting behaviour, populism and the future of the left. Why do people vote in the first place? And which factors determine whether someone votes to further their own self interest or in line with their idea of an ideal society? Our guest was Didier Eribon, a renowned French author and philosopher and Professor of Sociology at the University of...

Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that launched just a few weeks after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, is currently worth an estimated $41 billion. Digital coins like Bitcoin have become a global phenomenon. There are currently just under 1400 different coins in circulation, trading on 190 digital exchanges. How do these coins differentiate themselves, what aspects give them a viable future and do they...

On the 4th of March the Italian general elections take place. As the Italian economy has not yet fully recovered from a severe recession and people are unsatisfied with the solutions proposed to tackle the migration crisis, there is a lot at stake. But how come that the third-largest economy in Europe is not growing the way it should? What is it that the Italians are discontent with? We will discu...

The goal of the EIB is to finance projects that bring about European integration and social cohesion. How do projects get chosen and where in the European economy lay underutilized opportunities to reach this goal? Werner Hoyer believes for instance there is an overall investment gap in the European Union, stating that our infrastructure spending is at a 20-year low. And even though the Eurozone i...

In this interview, Rutger Bregman (Dutch journalist and advocate for a universal basic income) debates Hilmar Schneider (Director of the institute of Labour Economics in Bonn) on the necessity and the feasibility of a Universal Basic Income. Interviewers: Miguel Krol and Olaf Vrijmoet Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org

Today's guest is one of the most prominent voices in the current globalization debate: political Economist at Harvard University and author of the bestseller 'The Globalization Paradox', Dani Rodrik. In this interview we discuss the myths that lay behind the case for economic global integration, but also the opportunities of wealth creation that it enables. Should we embark on a path to deepen glo...

Cowspiracy has been seen by many people around the globe. It addresses the enormous impact of the animal agriculture on our environment, and why so many environmental organizations seem to ignore this. The movie calls for urgent action and proposes a vegan diet as a solution for our environmental and even poverty issues. Through the eyes of Kip Andersen, we will explore both the flaws of the lives...

Op 14 december 2016 was Thierry Baudet te gast bij Room for Discussion. Hij sprak over zijn visie op de Nederlandse politiek en over zijn net opgerichte partij Forum voor Democratie. Interviewers: Jeppe van Aubel en Lauren Heeremans Music: Ruse by www.musicscreen.org