Alumni Week: What if we can learn from the developments in the United States?
Thursday 9 October | 19:30-21:00 | De Brug
- Date
- 9 October 2025
- Time
- 19:30 -21:00
- Room
- De Brug
Please note: this session is in Dutch.
Speakers Mark Deuze, Stine Jensen and Koen Petersen each bring their own perspective – from media studies to philosophy and political analysis. Author and journalist Doortje Smithuijsen will moderate the discussion.
Speakers
Mark Deuze is Professor of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on media, creativity and society, and he has published 14 books and over 150 articles. His most recent books are Well-Being and Creative Careers (2025) and Life in Media (2023). He previously worked in the United States and the United Kingdom, and has received several international grants. In addition, he is a musician in the band Skinflower.
Koen Petersen studied Political Science and American Studies and worked in business for thirty years (including at Procter & Gamble, Reed Elsevier and Jacobs Douwe Egberts). He has written books on American politics and is a senator for the VVD, serving as spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Defence. He is also a NATO delegate and provides political analysis for programmes and outlets such as Nieuwsuur, de Volkskrant and BNR.
Stine Jensen is Professor of Public Philosophy at Erasmus University and has published various books for both children and adults. She is a columnist for NRC and produces the daily podcast Zin van de Dag.
Doortje Smithuijsen is a journalist, writer and documentary maker. She studied Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam and researches the impact of digitalisation on society. She writes for, among others, de Volkskrant, has made documentaries for VPRO and is known for podcasts such as VSR. Her pamphlet Kapitalisme is Seksisme (Capitalism is Sexism) became a bestseller.
