Embrace failure to succeed: Forrest
Having described himself as the boy from the bush who once suffered from a "terrible" stutter, the irony was not lost on Andrew Forrest last night as he stood in front of hundreds of university graduates to talk about the keys to his success.
Mr Forrest returned to his old stamping ground, the University of WA, to accept an honorary doctorate alongside his wife Nicola.
In an address to the university's most recent graduates in Winthrop Hall, he spoke about the importance of embracing failure in order to succeed.
"When times are tough, when you do fall, when you do skin your proverbial shins, that is exactly when the wisdom and character inside you grows," he said.
Mr and Mrs Forrest were awarded the doctorates for their outstanding service to the community.
Last year, the mining magnate and his wife made what was believed to be Australia's biggest philanthropic donation through a $65 million gift to WA's tertiary sector.
The money will be used to establish a Forrest Foundation to fund scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships and to build a creative living space for researchers.
Mr Forrest told the crowd at UWA that philanthropy was about more than just handing out cheques.
"Give generously in a way that strengthens and not weakens the receiver, that is the challenge," he said.
"Give of your precious time. Teach people to fish, not just give them a fish. Be unafraid to always teach."
Mr Forrest studied economics and international politics at the UWA in the early 80s.
