As political leaders in Europe begin important negotiations to determine the next EU budget (after 2013), the Aarhus Declaration begins by underlining the importance of investing in education, research, and innovation to enable universities to play their full role in nurturing talented individuals and in contributing to the EU 2020 strategy for "smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth". The Declaration is, however, not only addressed at political leaders: it also contains an action agenda for universities to develop talent.

The Declaration stresses that Europe cannot afford to run the risk of losing a generation of talented people or of a serious decrease in research and innovation activity while its competitors are investing heavily in universities and the innovators of tomorrow: "Europe's universities collectively add value to European society and the European economy. Looking forward to the discussion on the EU budget post 2013, the considerable achievements of the last decade should not be wasted."

Nurturing talented individuals has always been central to the mission of Europe's universities and becomes increasingly vital as knowledge becomes central to social and economic development and as global competition for talent increases. The Aarhus Declaration calls on universities to strengthen this role and outlines an agenda for action.

The statement underlines the need for

• strong university leadership to promote talent development in all its dimensions
• ensuring a clear internationalisation strategy within universities
• ensuring an overall commitment to a quality culture and to transparency within universities
• understanding the importance of partnerships. Promoting dialogue with and engaging a variety of stakeholders at various levels ensures impact on society and the development and dissemination of local knowledge in an international context.