FADE IN
Act 1
INT. STUDY - 09:30
Smartphone in hand, PETER reads one lengthy email carefully.
PETER (V.O.): In 2003, I studied in the Harvard campus for the first time.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): With support from Hong Kong Govt, I joined Kennedy School's Senior Executive Fellows Program in fall that year.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I lived in Harvard Business School's residence by the Charles River in Cambridge.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): One windfall as a Harvard alumni is that I've lifelong connection with the Harvard network.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): On the current political issue, this isn't the first communication from Harvard.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. OFFICE - DAY 11:00 (First Monday of every month) 2004 - 2010
Open area. Peter and COLLEAGUES arrive, standing.
PETER (V.O.): In the open area, there's transparency apart from inclusiveness.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a standing meeting, meaning it won't be too long.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Monday means a fresh start. It's sets the monthly tone.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I want to align team roles and aspirations, preventing the Monday syndrome too.
Peter makes his opening remarks.
PETER: I call this monthly meeting "ILA" ie Inspire, Liberate & Achieve...
PETER (V.O.): I didn't learn any of these from Harvard.
PETER (Cont'd): I sent you all the reading materials and the questions I posed beforehand. Now is the time for us to share our thoughts.
PETER (V.O.): This is the Socratic method Harvard uses.
MONTAGE OF PETER'S ILA
A. As the facilitator, Peter poses a question to COLLEAGUE#1.
B. Colleague#1 answers and Peter asks follow-up questions. COLLEAGUE#2-4 give their input.
C. COLLEAGUES#5-10 discuss among themselves.
D. Peter shares his reflection on the questions, answers and discussions with colleagues.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What I learned at Harvard was to do better. My aspiration is to be better than all the others.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While working in Govt, I had unpleasant experience in engaging politicians. They often prioritized their own agendas over the greater good.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Soon after retirement, I've been doing voluntary work on university governance, initially on knowledge transfer and then on all matters to preserve the ivory tower.
Thinking
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For academic institutions to take sides on political issues is detrimental in preserving the ivory tower.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Taking a stand can lead to problems like polarization, close-mindedness, confirmation bias, lack of nuance, and the "us versus them" mentality.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Of course, there're situations where taking a stand on political issues can be necessary or morally justified.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Examples are: Climate change, peace, non-violence, against genocide and systematic racism, rights of marginalized communities, equality of opportunity etc.
Instructing his assistant in All_The_Photos, Peter types on screen: ...communicating the message in preserving the ivory tower. We see an image of an elephant appearing in seconds.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): It's obvious that the bot doesn't understand what's an ivory tower.
Repeating his instructions on screen and seeing the images generated, Peter doesn't look pleased.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 23:00
Peter works before a laptop.
PETER (V.O.): "Ivory tower" is used metaphorically to describe the isolation and detachment of academia from the outside world.
Checking saved images in his smartphones, Peter selects one featuring also a bespectacled guy.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In a connected world, maintaining the integrity and autonomy of academic institutions is paramount.
Gazing at the selected AI drawing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd):Yielding to political pressures from some quarters will turn academic institutions into political battlefields.
FADE OUT
THE END
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