Vice Chancellor describes Elders as Institutional Memory to Professional Bodies

The Vice-Chancellor (VC), University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, has described elders and senior citizens as ‘living ancestors’ who carry institutional memories that speak large volumes about associations.

Prof. Adebowale made the statement when he received members of the Association of Nigerian Musicologists (ANIM) who were on a courtesy visit to his office.

He said the existence of elders in a professional body brings cohesiveness and helps the body to make profound impact that would greatly affect research and improve the status of the association.

The VC noted that for any association that does not have elders that can speak of memories of the past, historical perspectives would fade, and the level of impact would be very small, praising the ANIM for its high level of organisation and cohesiveness, as every member of the association was represented.

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Speaking on the theme of the 19th conference of the Association, “Music in a Digital Economy”, the VC cautioned that though Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be very easy to bring into music, the association should take steps to study the digital world in detail so as to draw boundaries that would help avert the dangers associated with AI.

He said: “The rate at which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going, if we are not very careful, the negative tendencies that we will get from there will be more than the benefits.” 

Earlier, in his address, the President, Association of Nigerian Musicologists , Prof. Christian Onyeji, appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for granting the association the opportunity to hold its 19th National Conference in UI.

He informed the Management that ANIM is made up of musicologists who are lecturers, practitioners, and experts, that practice, promote art music, and work in different institutions in the country.

Prof. Onyeji noted that as the association also marks its 30th anniversary, the 19th conference would consider the digital economy and key into the process, analyse how much of that process has impacted music so far and what music is contributing to the economic processes involved in the digital process.

The ANIM President expressed the belief that the conference would make substantial contributions that would impact the processes from the Nigerian standpoint.