Aarhus University
focuses on excellent research
In April Aarhus University hosted the international Excellence 2012 conference
in conjunction with the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2012.
News
Lionel Messi helps to open EU conference
2012.04.20 | Events
Ambitions ran high when the European Excellence 2012 conference was opened at Aarhus University. Among all the mention of potassium pumps and climate change challenges, there was also room for a picture of Lionel Messi on the screen in the Main Hall
Secretary-General of Volkswagen Foundation: Excellence is the path to progress
2012.04.20 | Knowledge exchange
The second day of the EU Excellence 2012 conference opened on an ominous note. Fortunately, the first presentations of the day also offered some solutions. And the conclusion from the podium was clear: excellent research is the way to ensure the future of Europe.
A tribute to human intelligence and brilliant thinking
2012.04.19 | Awards, Events
On Wednesday the World Cultural Council presented its two prestigious research and education awards, as well as paying tribute to the eight Danish recipients of the European ERC Starting Grant 2011. This is the first time the ceremony has ever been held in Denmark.
Europe must make huge investments in research and innovation
2012.04.19 | Research policy
Former Danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen believes that education and research are the best way to meet the challenges facing Europe and the world today
Michael Grätzel receives award for inventing low-cost solar cells
2012.04.16 | Knowledge exchange
Professor Michael Grätzel from Switzerland will receive the Albert Einstein World Award of Science at the Excellence 2012 conference. On Monday 16 April, he is giving an open lecture entitled Nanostructures systems for the generation of fuels and electricity from sunlight.
The Aarhus Declaration
Download The Aarhus Declaration and follow the declaration's future in European research politics
Investing in Excellence - preparing for tomorrow
The Aarhus Declaration: A strong signal to Europe
The Aarhus Declaration was handed over to the Danish Minister of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, Morten Østergaard. He will take it to the negotiations on Horizon 2020.
Statements from the conference
"Excellence should leave a trail of death behind it. An excellent theory wipes competing explanations out"
- Rane Willerslev, professor at Aarhus Universitet and Director of Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo
Video and presentations
See videointerviews with several keynote speakers or download presentations from the conference
Excellence 2012: The Aarhus Declaration
The Danish Minister of Education, Morten Østergaard, president of the European Research Council, Helga Nowotny and rector of Aarhus University, Lauritz Holm-Nielsen expresses their optimistism for the impact of the declaration and the future of european research on the final day of the conference.
Excellence 2012: Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
"We have suffcient quantity but not enogh quality in European research." The European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, talks about the Horizon 2020 Programme and how it will improve the conditions of excellent science in Europe.
Presentations from Excellence 2012
- Philip Campbell, Editor-in-chief of Nature: Tomorrow's Giants
- Wilhelm Krull, Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation: Promoting Excellence: Trust, Risk and Less Contraints
- David Lynn, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, Wellcome Trust: Embracing Excellence
- Bertil Andersson, President, Nanyang Technological University: Drivers for Excellence: A view from Singapore