Dr John Minns is an Emeritus Professor in Politics and International Relations at the ANU Director of the Australian National Centre for Latin American Studies and the President of the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia. Dr Minns is a former Director of the Australian National Centre for Latin American Studies and the President of the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia. 

He has been a University Medalist, a Fulbright Scholar and a winner of a number of awards, including the Prime Minister's Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year. His research is focussed on the political economy of development in developing countries, especially in Latin America. He has also been heavily involved in activism and writing on refugee politics for over twenty years and is currently a member of the Refugee Action Committee in Canberra.