The Serviam Institute for International Security (SIIS) is a unique initiative aimed at strengthening military-diplomatic cooperation and security education. The program helps empower students – ROTC cadets and international relations scholars alike – to become ethical, effective, and collaborative leaders who shape security policy at home and abroad.
SIIS offers cutting-edge research, crisis simulations, policy innovation and real-world security training. Launching in 2026, SIIS aspires to become an internationally recognized center where the Department of State, Department of Defense and intelligence agencies recruit top talent.
Modeled on the Modern War Institute and adapted for a private university, SIIS combines cutting-edge research, crisis simulations and real-world security training.
Based at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, the program expands on the presence of Seton Hall’s distinguished ROTC program, and reflects the University’s enduring Catholic tradition and the diversity of our industrious student body who aspire to become future national security leaders.
The Serviam Institute also serves as a hub for research, training and leadership development in international security, with a particular focus on the strategic challenges of the Indo-Pacific region.
To support this mission, we work with leading Catholic universities and security institutions in the Asia- Pacific to strengthen military-diplomatic cooperation and security education, providing Seton Hall cadets and international relations scholars with firsthand experience in Indo-Pacific security dynamics. As our title implies, the Serviam Institute – "I will serve" – is a calling for our students, who dedicate themselves to service, leadership, and global security.
The SIIS Simulation Experience reflects experiential learning at its best. These exercises move students beyond passive learning and into demanding, real-time environments where they must think strategically, act under pressure, and defend their decisions. Held twice each semester on Saturdays and often involving 30 to 40 students, these eight-hour, nonstop exercises prepare participants to make difficult choices, defend their judgment, and lead when certainty is impossible. Even meals are folded into the experience, with pizza delivered as the simulation continues. Rather than simply listening to experts or producing written analysis, students are placed in situations that require them to think, decide, and lead under pressure. The result is an education that prepares students not only to understand the world, but to operate in it.
The Student Fellow supports the research, design, and execution of policy-focused wargames and simulations on international security and foreign policy issues. This role combines analytical research with hands-on scenario design and live simulation support.
Responsibilities include:
The student fellows for 2026 are Joseph Brennan, Cameron Bird, Liam Knotek, and Megan Hay.
During a New York City trip organized with the help of The Serviam Institute for International Security (SIIS), students learned about the relationship between art and freedom through an exhibit tour.
Fresh off a trip to Capitol Hill, the Student Veterans Organization at Seton Hall demonstrates that service extends beyond the uniform.
The Fulbright Scholar Łukasz Kamieński, Ph.D., brings world-class security expertise to Seton Hall University this March 11–14.
Professor Brendan Balestrieri, Ph.D. serves as the director of the Serviam Institute for International Security. His work focuses on international security and experiential learning, with particular emphasis on crisis simulations and real-world security training.
The Serviam Institute for International Security
400 South Orange Avenue
South Orange, NJ 07079
(973) 275-2518
[email protected]
