Austin Peay Week 2025 deepens global ties and student engagement at IIPE Winter School in Serbia

By: College of Behavioral and Health Sciences March 28, 2025

APSU Assistant Professor of National Security Studies Dr. Rudy Baker, center, and APSU INSMS Director Dr. Rich Mifsud, right, open APSU Week 2025.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University’s Institute for National Security and Military Studies (INSMS) deepened its international partnerships this March during the second annual APSU Week at the Institute of International Politics and Economics (IIPE) Winter School in Belgrade, Serbia.

Held March 3-7, the event marked APSU undergraduates' first participation in the program. They joined faculty, diplomats, and Serbian graduate students for a week of intensive seminars and policy simulations through the INSMS-Honors Global Security Leadership Exchange.

“Our APSU student delegates engaged with diplomats, scholars, and peers from other parts of the world on issues that define the international landscape,” said Dr. Rudy Baker, assistant professor of National Security Studies.

APSU student delegate Seraphina Franzen, center, listens intently to a lecture.

Baker, who previously served with the U.S. Department of Justice in Serbia and as a visiting research fellow at IIPE, helped organize and lead the academic programming

Highlights included:

A session on Serbia - U.S. defense cooperation by Dr. Rich Mifsud (INSMS director) and Major Marshal Carpenter, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Embassy Belgrade Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC - Belgrade);
A keynote by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) B.J. Shwedo, Director of the USAF Institute for Future Conflict, on cyber and information warfare;
A crisis negotiation simulation following Baker’s lecture on state recognition in international law;
A private roundtable at the U.S. Embassy, hosted by ODC - Belgrade Chief Lt. Col. Daniel J. O’Connor.

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) B.J. Shwedo, director of the USAF Institute for Future Conflict, lectures on cyber and information warfare.

This year, two APSU student delegates, Isaac Billeter and Seraphina Franzen, were selected through a competitive process and fully funded by INSMS.

“The IIPE Winter School is known for drawing top graduate students from across Serbia,” said Mifsud. “Having our undergraduates contribute meaningfully shows the strength of APSU’s academic programs.”

APSU student delegate Isaac Billeter described the experience as “unlike anything I’ve done in a classroom.”

Student delegate Seraphina Franzen added, “Seeing how politically active Serbia was proved incredibly meaningful and truly made me appreciate the interworking of persons and their governance.”

APSU student delegates Isaac Billeter and Seraphina Franzen having a bit of fun at the U.S. Embassy Belgrade.

The event built on APSUs 2024 memorandum of understanding with IIPE and reflects a growing collaboration between INSMS and ODC - Belgrade, advancing educational exchange and shared strategic goals in the region.

APSU, IIPE and ODC — Belgrade personnel join APSU Week students in a group photo to mark a successful week of international collaboration.

The success of APSU Week 2024 set the stage for this year’s expanded engagement, with both sides expressing enthusiasm about future exchanges and joint initiatives.

From the left are: ODC - Belgrade Official, Dr. Baker, Isaac Billeter, Seraphina Franzen, Dr. Mifsud, ODC - Belgrade Chief Lt. Col. O’Connor.

INSMS, supported by the Tennessee legislature, is APSU's center for research and education in national security and military studies. IIPE, founded in 1947, is the nation’s leading research institute in foreign and security policy.

“Programs like this develop students into informed, globally minded leaders,” Baker said. “It is a model we hope to build on year after year.”

The success of APSU Week 2025 signals not just the continuation but the deepening of partnerships rooted in mutual learning, strategic dialogue, and international cooperation.

Below, please find an APSU-TV interview with student delegates Isaac Billeter and Seraphina Franzen, highlighting their experiences at APSU Week in Serbia:

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