Written by Dr Charlotte Rothwell

The Goa conference offered more than an opportunity to share research; it created a space where cultures, perspectives, and expertise came together in a collective and dynamic environment. This coming together powerfully reflected the core principles of capacity building and highlighted the value of cross-cultural collaboration in strengthening research communities.

Capacity building is about strengthening skills, knowledge, and resources, and seeing the NAMASTE team together in one room really brought this to life. The enthusiasm and energy that filled the space was infectious and deeply motivating. It inspired us to continue expanding capacity-building networks and strengthening collaborations across cultures.

One of the most valuable learnings for me, as a UK-based researcher, was gaining a deeper understanding of how family structures and health contexts can differ across Asia – and how these differences shape the challenges researchers face in their work. This insight has encouraged me to further immerse myself in learning about autism and neurodevelopment from a cross-cultural perspective.

From a capacity-building standpoint, the conference also reinforced our commitment to ensuring that researchers feel well trained, supported, and confident in their roles. While in Goa, I conducted a capacity-building audit to better understand the areas where researchers felt additional development was needed. Since then, I’ve been working to bring collaborators together to address these priorities, with the aim of helping researchers navigate the many challenges that come with this important and often demanding work.

Ultimately, the Goa conference served as a powerful reminder that capacity building is not a one-off activity, but an ongoing, collective journey. By learning from one another, sharing perspectives, and building meaningful cross-cultural partnerships, we can create research environments where individuals feel empowered and supported, ensuring that our work is not only rigorous, but also responsive, inclusive, and impactful across the diverse communities we aim to inform.

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