FADE IN
Act 1
INT. STUDY - 08:30
Morning light filters through the window. PETER is studying some texts on his iPad Mini screen.
PETER (V.O): Another HKUST marathon Council meeting will begin in an hour.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Having well-prepared, I've my perspectives to share.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): There'll be a lunch-time talk. I don't know what the guest speaker would talk about. Anyhow, there's no need for any preparation.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Actually, that's what education is all about: the joy of discovery and the thrill of new ideas unfolding in real time.
Act 2
INT. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, HKUST - 13:30
Sea view foyer. Sitting next to the PROVOST, Peter follows the lunch-time talk and has eye-contact with the SPEAKER.
PETER (V.O): Hong Kong at the crossroads of high education? What a thesis!
Listening intensely.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): What's the US' "China Initiative"?
Peter researches with his mobile.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Well, its reach has extended into the academic realm, creating a climate of fear among researchers in US.
Reading.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The Initiative has led to increased scrutiny of collaborations between US and Chinese entities, affecting partnerships.
Listening.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It's probable that the US will continue to tighten its grip...
The Speaker points at a slide.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): With right strategies, Hong Kong educational institutions can capitalize in the circumstances...
FLASHBACK
INT. CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE, HK - DAY (1999)
A Harvard PROFESSOR is lecturing dozens of senior CIVIL SERVANTS including Peter (45).
PROFESSOR: When you hear or say something that is "strategic", what does that mean to you?
We hear the sounds of silence.
PROFESSOR (Cont'd): "Strategic" sounds good, right?
PETER (V.O): In context, it can't mean gaining overall military advantage...Is it a synonym for planning?
Pausing.
PROFESSOR (Cont'd): The term "strategic" connotes something well-thought out...specific or focused...
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Later in Cambridge, I learned that the term in leadership involves a dynamic interplay of vision, adaptability, and responsiveness to change.
We hear: HKUST - the MIT of Asia.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): And now, the term has evolved from focusing on specific goals to encompassing a sense of alternative warfare, where academia becomes a battleground for geopolitical interests.
We hear:..HKUST should strive to surpass MIT...
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Hong Kong, China, does have the potential to re-define its high education role, attracting scholars who value academic freedom.
We see the speaker ending his talk with a slide depicting the shining future of HKUST.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm also a member of HKUST's Campus Development Committee. I find the speaker's horizons more strategic.
The floor is open. Peter voices his remarks on strategic horizons and poses a question.
PETER:...If HKUST is to have a media lab, in what specific area, do you think, can it surpass the one in MIT?
The speaker shares his insight in an area where MIT isn't as strong as before. And Peter nods.
PETER (V.O): I believe my colleagues are listening.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O): It has never occurred to me that apart from intellectual property, I could create and deliver value on the high education front.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It's refreshing to think about high education in such a strategic way.
Act 3
INT. STUDY - 22:00
Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled: "Strategic Horizons..." to a draft in his laptop.
PETER (V.O): Education in US has broadened the horizons of Chinese to confront realites that they'd never before anticipated.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): On leadership, external pressures aren't constraints, they're opportunities to shape the strategic landscape.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Educational institutions in Hong Kong, China, should seize the opportunities to harness the talents of returning Chinese scholars.
FADE OUT
THE END
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