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 here or iTunes, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.