Austin Peay State University formalizes landmark partnership with University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Science
By: Institute for National Security and Military Studies June 11, 2026
From left: U.S. Embassy Belgrade Cultural Attaché Madelyn Mahon, U.S. Embassy Belgrade Chargé d'Affaires Alexander Titolo, INSMS Director Dr. Rich Mifsud, and APSU INSMS Assistant Professor Dr. Rudy B. Baker.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University (APSU) has formalized a significant new international partnership with the one of Serbia's most distinguished university faculties and home to a 21-year-old Center for American Studies.
The partnership was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on May 21, 2026, in Belgrade, Serbia. It establishes a framework for collaboration in international relations, security studies, and political science, including initiatives such as joint conference organizing, co-publication of scholarly work, online course access, and the development of study abroad programming for Austin Peay students at FPN's Belgrade campus.
"FPN already operates well-established semester and summer abroad programs in Belgrade with American university partners," said Dr. Rudy Baker, an assistant professor with APSU's Institute for National Security and Military Studies who was instrumental in developing the partnership. "The prospect of APSU students joining those programs and building lasting relationships with Serbian peers and faculty is one of the things I am most excited about. This partnership is not just an institutional agreement. It is a genuine opening for our students to engage with one of Europe's most dynamic academic communities."
That programming is already taking shape under the new agreement. will continue under FPN's institutional framework beginning in March 2027, and APSU students will be able to join FPN's established semester and summer study abroad programs operated in partnership with Ohio State University and Clemson University. The agreement also establishes a Fulbright visiting scholar pipeline and a two-way faculty exchange.
“FPN brings extraordinary depth and institutional strength to this partnership,” said INSMS Director Dr. Rich Mifsud. “Its Center for American Studies, its established exchange programs with leading American universities, and the caliber of its faculty make it an ideal partner for INSMS. We are committed to building something lasting here, and today’s signing is the foundation on which we intend to build it.”
INSMS Director Dr. Rich Mifsud shakes hands with FPN Dean Dr. Maja Kovačević during a signing ceremony formalizing the partnership between APSU and FPN. From left: U.S. Embassy Belgrade Chargé d'Affaires Alexander Titolo, Mifsud, and Kovačević.
The signing ceremony was held at FPN's Belgrade campus and attended by Alexander Titolo, chargé d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Belgrade, along with representatives from the embassy's Public Affairs Section and
"The United States remains committed to deepening our partnership with Serbia across all sectors, and education remains one of the most powerful tools we have to build lasting relationships," Titolo said.
The memorandum was signed by FPN Dean Dr. Maja Kovačević on behalf of the University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Science and by Mifsud on behalf of APSU.
Dr. Rich Mifsud, INSMS director, presents a lecture to FPN faculty and students titled “The Value of the State Partnership Program.” Mifsud’s lecture discussed the evolution of the California-Ukraine State Partnership Program and was the first major academic activity under the partnership between the two institutions.
"Austin Peay State University has demonstrated from our very first meetings a seriousness of purpose and a genuine commitment to reciprocal academic exchange that we greatly value," Kovačević said. "The Faculty of Political Science looks forward to welcoming APSU students and colleagues to Belgrade and to developing with them the kind of deep, enduring collaboration that enriches both institutions and the students they serve."
The partnership was also developed in significant part through the efforts of Dr. Vladimir Trapara, a graduate of FPN and currently APSU's Fulbright Visiting Scholar. His relationships on both sides of the Atlantic proved indispensable in laying its foundations.
"From our very first conversations with Dr. Mifsud and Dr. Baker, it was clear that Austin Peay State University was a different kind of partner," said Dragan Živojinović, a senior member of FPN’s faculty and another key figure in facilitating the partnership. "They came to Belgrade not to lecture but to listen, not to impose a model but to build one together. That spirit is what makes this partnership genuinely exciting, and I am very proud that our faculty will be part of it."
For APSU's leadership, the agreement is a deliberate step deeper into the European academic community.
"The Faculty of Political Science at the University of Belgrade is one of Europe's great centers of political science and international relations scholarship," APSU President Dr. Michael Licari said. "This partnership gives our students and faculty access to that tradition and to a network of colleagues who share our commitment to rigorous, globally engaged academic work. I am proud that Austin Peay State University is deepening its presence in Serbia and in the broader European academic community."
The partnership also directly advances APSU's academic mission through coursework, research, and time abroad.
“This agreement reflects the kind of purposeful, high-impact academic partnership that expands opportunities for our students and faculty,” said Dr. Mitchell Cordova, APSU’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “Through collaboration with the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Political Science, Austin Peay students will gain meaningful international learning experiences, with direct exposure to global political and security issues. I am proud that this partnership strengthens our academic mission while preparing students to think critically and lead in an increasingly interconnected world.”
FPN has built its reputation partly on studying U.S. politics and foreign policy, and the partnership creates an ongoing connection to American academia.
"The Faculty of Political Science has long believed that the study of international relations and American foreign policy is best pursued through direct engagement with American academic institutions and the scholars who inhabit them," said FPN Professor Dr. Dragan R. Simić, founder and director of the Center for American Studies. "Austin Peay State University has brought to this partnership not only institutional commitment but genuine expertise and genuine friendship. That combination is rarer than it should be, and we are very glad to have found it."
For APSU's College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, which houses INSMS, the partnership offers significant value in the classroom and abroad.
"International partnerships of this depth and ambition represent exactly the kind of global engagement that enriches our students' academic experience and broadens the reach of our institution," said Dr. Dlynn Williams, dean of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. "I am delighted to be part of formalizing this relationship with the Faculty of Political Science and look forward to seeing it flourish."
About the Institute for National Security and Military Studies
The Institute for National Security and Military Studies (INSMS) at Austin Peay State University is the first of its kind in the southeastern United States and is supported by the state legislature to build upon Tennessee’s position as a national leader in defense and security studies. In addition to providing education to the community, the institute supports faculty research on national security and military studies-related topics.