Don’t be frightened of failure

Martyn Davies CBE was speaking after receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Science at the University’s summer graduation ceremony at the Brighton Centre today (1 Aug).

Martyn, honoured for his major contribution to the pharmaceutical sciences through education and research, told graduates: “Opportunities will come your way. Keep your eyes open for them and when those opportunities come don’t take the safe option if you have a fear of failure.

“You will make mistakes – that’s fine, I have made loads of them in my life, but you will be a better person for it. You will also be better at what you do because of it, if you learn from those mistakes.”

Currently Emeritus Professor at the University of Nottingham, Martyn graduated from the University of Brighton (then Brighton Polytechnic) with a BSc(Hons) in Pharmacy in 1981.

Martyn Davies CBE

Martyn Davies CBE receiving his honorary doctorate from Professor Debra Humphris, Vice-Chancellor

He gained his PhD from what is now Kings College London and went on to hold a series of academic posts at Manchester School of Pharmacy and University of Nottingham where he became Head of the School of Pharmacy.

He co-founded the Laboratory of Biophysics and Surface Analysis at Nottingham and founded spinout companies, one of which is a double winner of a Queen’s Award for Innovation. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Chemistry, American Institute of Biological Engineering, UK Association of Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and he was awarded a CBE in this year’s New Year’s Honours.

Professor Davies has supervised more than 100 PhD and postdoctoral students and 25 of his alumni are now professors. His company, listed on the New York stock exchange, is helping women with fertility issues, worldwide.

He said he owed so much to his time at Brighton. By graduation, he said: “I’d had enough of lectures, I’d had enough of exams and I just wanted to leave. But when I began to think about it I realised Brighton taught me so much. It taught me to think, it taught me to analyse, it taught me to challenge ideas. It also gave me confidence to go forward which was everything.”

Professor Davies advised graduates to never stop learning: “When you leave here what you will learn is equally important. By continuing to learn you better yourself, you will contribute to your profession and you will also contribute to society.

“Finally, look around you. I’m sure you have made great friends and those friends will stay friends for life. My wife and I met at college and I’m ashamed to say there were 42 pharmacists at our wedding. It was quite a party.

“To the pharmacists amongst you, you are in a profession where you act as a team and you will rely on each other. The friendship and mentoring and encouragement of others has been so important in my career.

He added: “Be supportive of others because they will be supportive of you when the times are tough – and there will be.”