The world faces a range of challenges, including increasing numbers of refugees, income inequality, loss of fertile land leading to rising hunger, and climate change. Governments and global institutions are addressing these problems using a variety of tools. On today's show, Maysa Jalbout explains the role that universities can play in addressing these challenges. She is a nonresident fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, and is a visiting scholar and special adviser on the UN Sustainable Development Goals at both Arizona State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts  or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at  on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .