Big Ideas, Real Impact.
Reflections from CINGS on the ideas shaping our work
CINGS x Serica CEO Dinner Series: Ganesh V. Iyer
The Serica Initiative recently hosted another installment of its CEO Dinner Series, welcoming Ganesh V. Iyer, U.S. CEO of NIO.
CINGS (China Institute Next Gen x Serica) had the chance to interview Ganesh and to speak about the future of the autonomous economy.
The conversation began with a simple observation: Tesla proved the category could exist. That early push created the conditions for the global EV market we see today—millions of electric vehicles now on the road worldwide. Yet adoption has unfolded differently across regions.
Over the past five years, EVs have moved from an emerging category to a meaningful share of vehicles on the road, especially in China.
Ganesh also emphasized something that Western audiences often underestimate: the pace and scale of China’s innovation and execution in the EV space. He encouraged people to visit China to witness the change firsthand, noting that the speed of development is difficult to fully appreciate from afar.
From there, the conversation shifts to what comes next. Autonomous Economy. In some ways, Ganesh argues, the autonomous economy is already here, but it has the potential to become an even bigger part of our lives. Once driving is no longer the core activity, the role of the car changes.
EVs as the foundation, and Nio is spearheading the shift to a more autonomous economy, and the best is yet to come.
For the video interview, please visit https://www.sericainitiative.org/post/the-future-of-ev-with-nio-ceo-ganesh-iyer
CINGS New Asian Filmmakers Collective Screening & Talk
On April 13, we hosted “Evolution: From DV to AI Filmmaking” in collaboration with the New Asian Filmmakers Collective (NAFC), co-presented with CINGS.
The program followed the screening of Panda at New Directors/New Films (MoMA and Lincoln Center) and featured a conversation with Xiaodong Guo (NAFC founder & producer) and Mina Chen (co-founder & director), moderated by Chamberlain (CINGS).
The event opened with a reception and a screening of When Spring Comes, a short documentary directed by Mina Chen and Su Qing. We then introduced NAFC’s mission to support emerging Asian filmmakers.
The program continued with the avant-premiere of To Reach the End of the World, an AI-generated film directed by Joseph Lee, with AI direction by Nick Chen. The screening prompted discussion around the evolving role of AI in cinema. The film is scheduled for presentation at the Beijing Film Festival 2026.
A panel discussion concluded the afternoon, exploring the evolution of filmmaking from DV to AI and future possibilities.
We were encouraged by the strong turnout and the engagement from both current and prospective CINGS members.
This event reflects an ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration and expanding the future of Chinese independent filmmaking.
