CLARKSVILLE, TN – While most American college students spent spring break stepping away from the world, a group of Austin Peay State University students stepped directly into it — traveling to Belgrade, Serbia, to study national security where it is actively being shaped.
For students in APSU’s Institute for National Security and Military Studies (INSMS), the city offered more than a destination; it offered context. Serbia remains shaped by the Kosovo conflict, the 1999 NATO bombing campaign, and its ongoing effort to balance relationships between Eastern and Western powers — realities that cannot be fully understood from a textbook.
“There is simply no substitute for this kind of cultural exchange,” said Dr. Richard Mifsud, INSMS director. “Students can study national security concepts all semester, but being here — engaging directly with people and perspectives shaped by these events — gives them a level of understanding that cannot be replicated in a traditional classroom.”
The spring break program, held through the Institute of International Politics and Economics’ Winter School of International Relations, connected APSU students with leading Serbian scholars and policymakers. Throughout the week, students attended lectures and discussions with internationally recognized voices, including journalist and researcher Dr. Aleksandar Mitić, former Serbian ambassador to the United States Dr. Ivan Vujačić, and researcher Dr. Mladen Lišanin, whose work focuses on great-power dynamics and Serbia’s foreign policy.
But the moments that hit hardest happened outside the seminar room.
APSU students stayed after lectures to keep talking. They shared meals with Serbian university students, traded perspectives, and built lasting friendships that don’t fit neatly into a course syllabus — but stay with you long after graduation.
Those interactions unfolded in a country still carefully navigating its global position — pursuing European Union membership while maintaining military neutrality and strong relationships with both Western nations and longtime partners such as Russia and China.
Cristobal Ruiz knows conflict. As an active-duty soldier enrolled in national security studies, he thought he had a handle on what Belgrade would feel like. He didn’t.
“At first, it felt familiar,” Ruiz said. “But once you spend time in the city and talk to people, you start to see how much history is layered into everything — the buildings, the streets, the conversations.”
That immersion, he said, reinforced one of the program’s biggest academic takeaways.
“The biggest lesson is that it’s complicated,” Ruiz said. “And that’s why it works. You’re not starting with something simple. You’re seeing multiple factors and perspectives all at once, and how they actually play out.”
Ruiz said his experience shifted his understanding of international relations.
“It gives you perspective,” he said. “You can’t reduce countries to simple ideas. Being here, talking with people, hearing how they understand their history… it changes how you think.”
That openness wasn’t limited to national security majors. Dr. Rudy Baker, APSU assistant professor of national security studies, watched students from across disciplines throw themselves into the experience.
“One of the most encouraging parts of this program was seeing students from a range of disciplines engage with Serbian history and culture,” Baker said. “It showed that there is real interest in understanding parts of the world that students may not encounter in their coursework. And once they are here, the learning goes far beyond what any textbook can provide.”