CONVOCATION SPEECHES DAY 3: WEDNESDAY, 17 NOVEMBER, 2021
ADDRESS BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR K. O. ADEBOWALE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2021 CONVOCATION, 73RD FOUNDATION DAY CEREMONY, AWARD OF DOCTORATE DEGREES AND CONFERMENT OF HONORARY DEGREES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN ON WEDNESDAY, 17 NOVEMBER, 2021
The Visitor to the University of Ibadan, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde
The Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Chief John Evboyomwan Kenneth Odigie-Oyegun, CON
His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife
His Royal Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Oguguniso I, the Olubadan of Ibadanland
The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, FNAL, MFR, mni
Her Excellency, Prof. Sarah Ayang Agbor, Commissioner, Human Resource, Science and Technology, African Union Commission
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Members of the Governing Council
Vice Chancellors of other Universities
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration)
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships)
Registrar
Bursar
University Librarian
General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanized Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan
Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command
Director, State Security Services
Provost, College of Medicine
Provost of the Postgraduate College
Deans of Faculties, and of Students
Director, PAULESI, Prof. Esther T. Akinlabi
Directors of Institutes and Centres
Members of Senate
Members of Congregation
Heads of Departments
President & Members of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association
Members of the University Community
Celebrated Graduands of Today
Gentlemen of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen
Today is the 73rd Foundation Day Ceremony of the University of Ibadan, and Convocation for admission to Doctorate Degrees of the University and award of Honorary Degrees. It is with great delight that I welcome you to the University of Ibadan and the 73rd Foundation Day Ceremony.
I most heartily welcome our Visitor, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. We wish His Excellency good health and wisdom to continue to successfully navigate the ship of the nation.
I also warmly welcome His Excellency, the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, who has been supportive of the University in diverse ways.
I heartily welcome the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.
I also welcome the Minister of State for Education.
I wish to express my appreciation to Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, mni, MFR, FNAL, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) a focused and dedicated supporter of higher education in Nigeria.
I am delighted to welcome our Chancellor, His Eminence Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, III, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto, who has been a great pillar of support to our University.
May I use this opportunity to welcome our royal and imperial fathers, especially, His Royal Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Oguguniso I, the Olubadan of Ibadanland; as well as His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife We thank you most sincerely for the cordial relationship between “Town and Gown”.
I welcome colleague Vice-Chancellors and Registrars from other Universities, Former Vice Chancellors and retirees from this University, members of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Captains of industries and all other invited guests.
May I also use this platform to welcome my colleagues who have invested time and energy in sharpening the skills and research focus and ability of today’s graduands. I also welcome and congratulate the parents, guardians, families and friends of our graduands. We appreciate your support and commitment to the realisation of the goals of today’s graduands.
APPRECIATION TO THE GOVERNING COUNCIL, MANAGEMENT AND STAFF
Those with facile understanding think they stand because they know how to stand; those with deep contemplation know they stand because there are hands holding them up. If we have any reports of progress to present today, if we gather today in peace and as a one family, if we rejoice today because we have full cause to rejoice, it is because there are hands, visible and not, physical and spiritual, that are lifting us up. And that is why, in deep humility, we must offer thanks, first to God but also to these human hands.
First on that list is our Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, CON, and the entire Governing Council. We thank himfor his guidance, excellent leadership, and for the outstanding role he has played in the University of Ibadan project since the inauguration of the current Governing Council earlier in April this year. Since he stepped in, it has been one very good step forward after another in the University of Ibadan.
The Governing Council had within the space of three months successfully midwifed the appointment of five Principal Officers: the Bursar, Mr. Adewuyi Popoola, the Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Prof Ezekiel Ayoola- Administration; Prof Aderonke Baiyeroju- Administration; Prof Oluyemisi Bamgbose- Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships) and my humble self as the 13th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. This is a testimony to the hard work, wisdom, transparency, firmness and character of the Chairman and members of Council. The External Members of the Governing Council, the three Deputy Vice-Chancellors, the Bursar and myself are all attending this Convocation for the first time in our respective capacities.
Without the support and commitment of the Governing Council, to transform the University, our activities as management would have been simply impossible. I am therefore grateful to all internal and external members of Council.
Second are my colleagues in management: the Registrar, Mrs Olubunmi Faluyi, the University Librarian, Dr Helen O. Komolafe-Opadeji, the Provosts of the College of Medicine and of the Postgraduate College, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun and Professor J. O. Babalola and their deputies, all Deans and Directors, Heads of Academic Departments, Master/Mistresses and Wardens of Student Halls of Residence, Chairmen and members of various Committees of Council and Senate.
Also on that list, and in no particular order, are all staff of the Registry, the Bursary, Library, Internal Audit, Academic Planning, University Health Services, Centres and Institutes, the Works and Maintenance Department, the Physical Planning Directorate, and the Security Unit. The four Staff Unions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) also deserve commendation for their support and cooperation. Importantly, the Student Union, under the leadership of Mr Oluwasegun Akeju, has been not just supportive but also creative, responsive and, indeed, responsible. If we love and respect our future, then we must commend and recommend young people like him.
CHARGE TO THE GRADUANDS
I like to congratulate you, all the graduands of today and to rejoice with you all for attaining this important milestone in your pursuit of higher education. You have obtained the Doctor of Philosophy in your various disciplines from one of the most reputable universities in the world. May I remind each of you that you are not a doctor of your discipline but of philosophy in your discipline. In other words, you are philosophers, thinkers and solution providers. The nation needs many like you who can provide feasible and practical solutions to the complexities that it is grappling with.
Since the first PhD’s were awarded in Paris about 870 years ago, PhD holders have been considered with awe as the apex of a thinking community equipped to address the problems of humanity. The world looks up to you. And as your institution we also look up to you to be good ambassadors. The worth of a university degree is not in the number of years spent to acquire it; neither is it in the amount of industry or hard work that was expended while one was a student. The name and reputation of a university may matter but these do not singularly decide the worth of its degree. The worth of a university degree is in the industry, learning and character that the holder of that degree displays on a daily basis from the moment of obtaining the degree. It is also in the humane character expressed by the holder in a world that is aching. This is why we cannot overemphasise the importance of your daily conduct once you step out of here today.
People would easily forgive and excuse the holder of a bachelor’s degree if such a person displays improper judgement; they might reluctantly overlook the slips of the holder of the degree of Master. It would be difficult for them to explain, ignore or pardon the misconduct or improper judgment by the holders of the highest academic degree possible. It is even more so when the degree comes from a university like ours whose generations of graduates have been known for unparalleled quality of thought and conduct. We are confident, however, that if you could successfully pass through the crucible of doctoral education in the University of Ibadan, you have all it takes to be exemplary in word and deed in the world out there.
OUR STEWARDSHIP
The University of Ibadan has a pride of place in the higher education development of the nation. This was why the University of Ibadan was mandated, about ten years ago, to consider itself as the major source of higher-level academic manpower and to increase its PhD outputs to at least 300 per session. Even that year, we surpassed the 300 mark. We have invested resources in our Faculties for quality teaching and production of quality researchers, by building a time-tested academic culture and tradition which we have continued to maintain and improve upon over the years
Graduation Statistics
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, on Monday, 8 November, a total of 7,827 candidates received the Bachelor’s Degrees in the various disciplines across all our Faculties. On Tuesday, 9 November, a total of 20 candidates were awarded Master of Philosophy; 3,567 earned academic Degree of Master, while 489 candidates were awarded Professional Degree of Master. In addition to these, 71 Postgraduate Diplomas were awarded.
Today, 481 candidates, from the various disciplines would be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree. The Faculty of Education stands on top of the list with a total of 87 Doctoral graduands followed by the Faculty of Science with 70 graduands. The others are:
Faculty of Arts – 62
Faculty of Agriculture – 59
Faculty of the Social Sciences – 43
Technology – 26
Institute of Education – 25
Faculty of Public Health – 20
Faculty of Pharmacy - 13
Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources - 12
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine -12
Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies – 12
Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences – 11
Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences – 9
Faculty of Clinical Sciences – 7
Institute of African Studies – 5
Faculties of Law and Environmental Design and Management – 3
Faculty of Dentistry – 1
Institute of Child Health - 1
Among the PhD graduands I specially recognise Dr Bibiana Ifeoma Okoli of the Department of Special Education who is the first female student with visual impairment to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree from this University. She was supervised by Prof Ikechukwu Ambrose Nwazuoke.
At this ceremony the University of Ibadan will be conferring the degree of Doctor of Letters by examination on Professor Oluwatoyin Falola, Distinguished Teaching Professor of African Studies and the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. This is the first higher doctorate by examination in the Humanities to be awarded by this University.
Ranking
As we are all aware, funding continues to be the greatest challenge facing the Nigerian University system and the University of Ibadan is not an exception in this regard. However, in spite of this debilitating challenge, I am exceedingly elated to report that our great University remains the first in the country, in West Africa and has now moved up to the seventh in Africa. It has climbed up to the 401 – 500 category in the Times Higher Education ranking for 2021. This is a testimony to the excellence of plan and hard work of the previous Vice Chancellors, administrations and staff. May I, therefore, use this opportunity to congratulate the University’s dedicated and ingenious Faculty, Senate, Governing Council and other stakeholders in the UI project who have made this achievement possible.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE
For the period under review, the Administration continued to give financial support for attendance at conferences and workshops both locally and internationally, to improve staff capacity for enhanced performance, in spite of the lean resources available to the University. The COVID-19 pandemic and its immense disruptions affected staff mobility severely. We, however, were able to regain our speed and retain our international visibility as we leveraged ICT for conferences, workshops, teaching and meetings. As the world begins to regain its balance following the gradual defeat of the pandemic, the number of staff embarking on international travels for collaborative research, conferences and workshops has begun to rise.
STUDENT MATTERS
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the areas in which we have remained resolute and uncompromising is in the welfare of our students. We are convinced that a conducive environment was non-negotiable for the optimal performance of students. As a result, as the resources permitted, we have been renovating student hostels to make them conducive to good learning, and acceptable and habitable for students. We have continued to explore creative alternatives such as partnership with private hostel developers under stringent conditions that favour students’ interests above other considerations.
We have maintained cordial and mutually respectful relationship with the students. On this note, we commend the tirelessness of the combination of the Dean and Deputy Dean of Students, Professor Adekeye Abiona and Dr Demola Lewis, respectively.
CAMPUS SECURITY
Security remains a global challenge over which the best of nations and institutions have experienced and expressed despair in the last few years. This explains why Management has remained firm and unswerving in its commitment to the security of lives and property on the main and other campuses. Among the many steps taken was enlisting the assistance of the Oyo State Police Command to support the University Security Unit in order to sustain the security on our campuses.
As a result of these steps, security breaches have largely ceased and a sense of safety pervades our Main and other campuses. In this regard, we must express our sincere appreciation to the Chairman, Council Committee on Security, Professor K. O. Aremu, for the excellent job of his committee. The administration will continue to provide the necessary support to the Security Unit in order to sustain the progress recorded in securing the campuses.
OUR CHALLENGES
In this address, I have focused largely on our progress and achievement. These have, however, been in the face of huge challenges. Time and space would not allow me to make an exhaustive list of these challenges; therefore, I will mention only a few.
One of these is power supply. A significant amount of our resources is expended on powering the University. Even with that, we are not able to provide enough hours of power supply. In line with the vision of this administration, we will upscale our exploration of alternative power sources. Management has opened communication with the Federal Ministry of Power on this issue. May I therefore appeal to all stakeholders to come to our support in this regard with their resources and even investments.
Other challenges we are grappling with include internet connectivity, maintenance of existing buildings and infrastructure, and the pressing need for expansion.
I wish to passionately plead with Mr. President that the University of Ibadan deserves to be given a special priority attention in the form of special reconstruction and rehabilitation funds as well as increased allocation spread over a period of time. As the oldest university and an Academic Heritage of all Nigerians, the University of Ibadan should be given a special status which comes with sufficient support and resources to transform it into a world destination for academic and intellectual pilgrimage. As the intellectual capital of Nigeria, the University of Ibadan most easily influences development in other universities. A special priority investment in the University of Ibadan therefore is a smart investment in the future of higher education in Nigeria. It all started here, and progress has always continued to spread from here.
SOME OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS AND HONOURS
Professor Idowu Olayinka, former Vice Chancellor, was appointed a Member of the National Advisory Committee on Universities of Technology by the Honorable Minister of Education;
The immediate past Ag. Vice Chancellor Professor A. B. Ekanola was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters;
The former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships) Professor Olanike K. Adeyemo was appointed to serve on the membership of the 6th Steering Committee of the World Food Security (CFS) High-Level Panel of Experts (2021-2023) on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE). She is the only appointee from Africa;
Drs V. A. Makanjuola, of the Department of Psychiatry; Y. R. Raji, of the Department of Medicine and T.O. Aladelusi, of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were elected into the National Officers’ Committee of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria(MDCAN) as President, Secretary General and National Treasurer respectively, at the 12th Biennial Delegates Meeting of the Association;
Professor Olukemi Amodu, Director, Institute of Child Health, facilitated a collaboration between National Institute of Maternal and Child Health(NIMCH) and First City Monument Bank(FCMB) which led to an Electronic Classroom Initiative;
Dr Alero E. Akeredolu of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law was appointed as a High Court Judge in the Ondo State Judiciary;
The Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health won an EDCTP grant to implement a Master of Public Health Programme in Epidemiology and Biostatistics;
The Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management was approved as the African Union Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries at the Extraordinary session of African Union in January, 2020;
Professor John Anetor of the Department of Chemical Pathology, was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Chemistry (FAACC), formerly National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry of the United States(FACB). He was also elected a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences(FATS);
The Department of Communication and Language Arts won this year’s Future Creative Leaders Academy, Pitcher Festival Competition for undergraduate students in various schools and Departments of Communication and Mass Communication;
Professor A. A. Omoloye of the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology led the Insect4Feed initiative at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. The initiative is funded by the government of the Netherlands in collaboration with Nigerian government, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), University of Ibadan and New Generation Nutrition;
Professor E. O. Farombi of the Department of Biochemistry was cited and listed among top 2% Scientists in the world and ranked No. 1 Toxicologist in Nigeria by US based Stanford (USA) University ranking in April 2021. He was also inducted as Foundation Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine Specialties on 29 July, 2021;
Professors Gbemisola Oke and Modupe Arowojolu of the Department of Dentistry were also inducted as Foundation Fellows of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria (FAMedS)
Professor O.A. Moronkola of the Department of Health Education was appointed the Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Sports;
Professor Oluwatoyin Odeku, immediate past Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy;
The Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hamdard University, Pakistan for joint research, staff exchange and graduate training;
The University of Ibadan was named a TETFund Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Multidisciplinary Studies with a grant of One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000) to be spent over a period of 5 years;
The University of Ibadan signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration between the Institute of Education and the Global Outreach of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife over the Royal African Young Innovation (RAYI) Project. The University through the Institute of Education is to provide intellectual and material resources while the the Global Outreach of His Imperial Majesty will provide other needed resources.
COMMISSIONED PROJECTS
The following are some of the completed projects which had been commissioned since the last convocation programme:
§ Construction of a new building of the Department of Immunology;
§ Deployment of an E-Classroom funded by the First City Monument Bank(FCMB), complete with an innovative platform to deliver a hybrid (both virtual and physical) classroom experience for the Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine.
MAJOR BENEFACTIONS
The University of Ibadan has enjoyed goodwill and benefactions from individuals, groups and corporate organisations too numerous to mention. I use this opportunity to once again express appreciation to all our benefactors, private and corporate, who have, at one time or the other, extended hands of fellowship to the University in cash and in kind. The various donations and awards had been duly acknowledged. May God bless you all.
Ø The Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies and the Senator Abiola Ajimobi Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on collaborative research, conferences, seminars and training programmes. In line with the terms of the agreement, the Ajimobi Foundation donated an ultra-modern 500 seater auditorium to the Department worth N150,000,000. The building, which also has two syndicate rooms and some staff offices, would be formally presented to the University in December, 2021;
Ø Solar Inverter System worth Four Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,100,000) was donated to the Department of Petroleum Engineering by the set of 2004/2005 graduating class;
Ø The Department of Virology received funding from University of California, Los Angeles, USA through the AFREhealth for strengthening interprofessional education on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria;
Ø Professor S. O. Osisanya, a 1976 Alumnus of the Petroleum Engineering Department donated textbooks worth Three Million, One Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand Naira(N3,192,000) to the Deparment of Petroleum Engineering;
Ø Class of 1992 of the Faculty of Law donated One(1) refurbished 30KVA soundproof Mikano Generating Set, Ten (10) Units of Lenovo all-in-one desktop computer, and Ten(10) Units of UPS to the Faculty of Law;
Ø Class of 1990 of the Faculty of Law donated an alternative power source (3.5KVA solar powered inverter system with 8 batteries) to the Faculty of Law Library;
Ø Alumnus Adeyinka Moyosore Kotoye, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, furnished the Common Room of his former Hall, Sultan Bello Hall;
Ø The BUA Group donated a sum of One Billion Naira(N1,000,000,000) to the University for the improvement of social, educational and health facilities;
OBITUARY
I wish to commiserate with the families of some of our serving/retired members of staff and students who passed on since the last Convocation ceremony.
They are:
Ø Mr O. Bankole, a staff in the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, who died on 21 November, 2020;
Ø Professor Peter Ekeh of the Department of Political Science, who died on 17 November, 2020;
Ø Dr O. B. Oparah of the Department of Guidance and Counselling, Faculty of Education, who died on 30 December, 2020;
Ø Professor E. M. Essien of the Department of Haematology, who died on 11 December, 2020;
Ø Mrs Ruth Oluwabukola Adeniji, a staff in the Works and Maintenance Department, who died on 25 December, 2020;
Ø Professor F. A. A. Adeniyi, a retired Professor of the Department of Chemical Pathology, who died on 25 January, 2021;
Ø Mr O. O. Adeyemi, a staff in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who died on 08 April, 2021;
Ø Professor O. A. Oyelese of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, who died on 01 April, 2021;
Ø Mr Rasak Adebowale, a staff in the Department of Petroleum Engineering, who died on 23 April, 2021;
Ø Mr Okodugha David, a staff in the Security Unit, who died on 23 April, 2021;
Ø Professor V. A. Babalola, a retired Professor of the Department of Mathematics, who died on 19 April, 2021;
Ø Professor B. E. Olufemi, a retired Professor of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, who died on 13 April, 2021;
Ø Emeritus Professor A. Adeloye, a retired Professor of the Department of Surgery, who died on 06 April, 2021;
Ø Mr Alade Abdul-Rasaki, a staff in the Security Unit, who died on 02 June, 2021;
Ø Mr Olusina Oguntade, a staff in the College of Medicine, who died on 30 May, 2021;
Ø Professor A. A. Ladele of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, who died on 10 June, 2021;
Ø Professor Olufemi D. Olaleye of the Department of Virology, who died on 27 July, 2021;
Ø Professor Anthony D. Ologhobo of the Department of Animal Science, who died on 7 August 2021;
Ø Professor Bankole Olusiji Oke of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, who died on 10 August 2021;
Ø Professor A. O. Uwaifo, a retired Professor of the Department of Biochemistry, who died in December, 2020;
Ø Professor G. O. Emerole, a retired Professor of the Department of Biochemistry, who died in January, 2021;
Ø Mr Amuda Ibraheem A, a staff in the Security Unit, who died on 03 August, 2021;
Ø Mr Yusuf Rasaki Owoade, a staff in the Security Unit, who died on 04 August, 2021;
Ø Mr Godwin Uwuijiaren, a staff in the Biodiversity Management Centre, who died on 02 July, 2021;
Ø Mr Olukunle Esuola, a staff in the Department of Social and Environmental Forestry, who died on 12 March, 2021;
Ø Mr Ogunniyi Rufus Akin, a staff in the Security Unit, who died on 25 August, 2021;
Ø Mr O. A. Egbodofo, a staff in the Registry died in October 2021.
May these ones who have gone ahead of us continue to rest in peace, and may the Almighty continue to comfort their loved ones.
CONCLUSION
God in His inscrutable wisdom placed on my shoulders the mantle of the 13th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan with effect from Monday, 01 November this year. With trust in Him and in all stakeholders, I am confident that we shall together sustain the legacy and raise the bar. Given the less than pleasant experiences that we had had in the race to the Vice Chancellorship, I made it a point of duty to reach out to all critical stakeholders especially on campus in the spirit of reconciliation and friendship. I have been surprised by the immense goodwill, readiness to move on, and commitment to the ideals of the University of Ibadan displayed by these groups and individuals. I can confidently declare that we have come out of that difficult phase of our institutional history, and are now steadily moving on as one big united UI Family.
I pledge to give my all to this university in the next five years; anything less than that would be insufficient. But I need your hands. As we join hands, and only as we join hands, would the University of Ibadan of our vision become a reality.
Thank you and God bless you.
Professor K. O. Adebowale, mni, FAS
Vice-Chancellor