The “Building Global Acute Care Research Capacity” conference held in Kigali, Rwanda from 6 to 9 October 2025 brought together over 100 clinicians, researchers, funders, and policymakers to chart a more equitable future for acute care research in low- and middle-income countries. Organized by InFACT, ISARIC, and CIIC-HIN, the meeting aimed to strengthen local leadership in acute care trials, foster sustainable networks across Africa and Southeast Asia, and define pathways for collaboration with global funders, WHO, and other stakeholders. According to the program, one of its key objectives was to ensure that patients are regarded as integral partners in research design and execution. At this conference, Dr. Madiha Hashmi represented Pakistan as an ISARIC hub lead and as head of the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) at Ziauddin University. She highlighted that bringing patients on board is not straightforward—they may not naturally appreciate the distinction between treatment and research, or recognize that they may not benefit personally but could help future patients. Her remarks underscored the importance of awareness, effective communication, and respect for patients’ perspectives. In her capacity as a lead investigator, she presented one of the selected research proposals: a multicenter randomized Phase III trial comparing conservative versus liberal oxygen therapy in hospitalized patients receiving non-invasive respiratory support. She also participated in WHO’s Global Optimization of Respiratory Support Research Collaboration sessions, co-led the small group discussion on the oxygen therapy proposal, and contributed to framework discussions on federating platform trials. Her active engagement exemplified the conference’s vision of mentoring emerging investigators and bridging networks across regions.