The University Forum provides a platform for dialogue and discussion on topics that are relevant to our academic community. One hundred participants are selected and invited through a raffle from among the students and staff of the UvA. In addition, members of the Executive Board, as well as faculty deans, take part in the meeting. All attendees participate in the discussion as equals. As such, the University Forum has acted as a democratic advisory body within our university for almost eight years.

Guided by a series of statements, participants exchange views on the evening’s topic in smaller subgroups. Every event concludes with an open conversation involving all attendees. The secretary of the forum compiles the main conclusions of the dialogue and discussions into an advisory report. This report will be shared with the university’s Executive Board, published on the website and included in the newsletters distributed to all students and staff.

Next edition

The next meeting of the University Forum will take place on Thursday, 6 November 2025. The theme of this edition is Generative AI.

The current and rapid advancements in generative AI confront the university with existential questions, ethical dilemmas, and practical problems. Various core functions of the university, including teaching and fostering critical and independent thinking, are at risk. This is due not only to the ways in which generative AI works, but also to the actors and methods involved in the development of it. Yet, AI also offers opportunities for research and education. Moreover, it appears inevitable that students will (have to) use AI in their future careers. 

Although the UvA has worked persistently in recent years to develop a framework for AI usage, the rapid rise of generative AI often still feels overwhelming. How can we ensure that we use AI responsibly in both research and education? During this edition of the University Forum, we will discuss this topic with staff and students.

If you were not selected but would still like to participate in the event, you can register below. If any spots remain available, you will receive an invitation.

Chair

As of 1 September 2024, the University Forum is chaired by Tamar de Waal. Her appointment is for a period of two years. De Waal is a legal philosopher, associate professor of Legal Theory and director of the Amsterdam Honours College of Law at the Faculty of Law.

Agenda committee

The subjects to be discussed at the meetings of the University Forum will be determined in collaboration with an independent agenda committee (consisting of the CSR, COR, UCO, UOC and student assessor, etc.). Its members will choose a theme that is relevant to both students and employees.

Origin

The University Forum was established nearly eight years ago following a recommendation from the Democratisation & Decentralisation Committee to set up a ‘broad-based deliberative forum’. After an evaluation of the forum’s first few years (2018-2023), it has taken on its current form.

The university in dialogue: What does it mean to share perspectives?

Lotus, a student, took part in the University Forum last April and shares her experience on the podcast UvA Perspectives. Are you interested in her insights and the diverse perspectives that shape the UvA? And are you curious about how the UvA can – or perhaps should – position itself as an educational- and research institution? Listen to the podcast: UvA Perspectieven - Universiteit van Amsterdam.