This session brings together, for the first time, the experience of a world-renowned and world-class educational institution (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]), the reference center in pan-European scientific cooperation for policy-making (the Joint Research Center [JRC]), and the latest initiative taken by 27 European governments to drive sustainable growth and competitiveness through the stimulation of world-leading innovations (European Institute of Innovation and Technology [EIT]). Speakers will examine the dynamics of what stakes really are at play when so many important decisions on security, education, health, sustainability of the planet, and the exploration of the universe move increasingly from local to national and from regional to global. The focus of the session will be to look at the real-life pros and cons of coordinated, innovative problem-solving across borders through the eyes of organizations tasked with solving the problems. The balance struck between the activities of MIT, JRC, and EIT allows for timely insights into groundbreaking areas of research, new and exciting developments, and cross-cutting activities in support of education, science policy-making, and innovation.