Glyn Ford was a Member of the European Parliament for over 25 years (1984-2009). Serving on both the International Trade and Foreign Affairs Committee, particularly on dossiers related to Asia, his experience gave him unrivalled knowledge and networks in Brussels and across the world.

In the European Parliament, Glyn was rapporteur for the Free-Trade Agreement with ASEAN, for implementing the Scientific Partnership Agreement with the Republic of Korea, as well as a ‘shadow’ on the EU-Japan and EU-China trade agreements. He was also a member of the Delegation with the Japanese legislature (1984-2009) and the Korean Peninsula from its creation (2004-2009).

Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party and Deputy Leader of the Socialist Group, he served at various times on the Research, Technology and Energy, Justice and Home Affairs, Petitions and Rules Committees, along with the Sub-Committee on Security and Defence.

Alongside Polint, Glyn continues his engagement with the DPRK on a non-profit basis in the framework of the NGO Track2Asia. In a personal capacity, he is a Board Member of the North East Asian Economic Forum.

A published author, Polint’s Executive Director has released several widely acclaimed books, including Talking to North Korea (2018), North Korea on the Brink: Struggle For Survival (2007), and Making European Progress (2002).

Before entering the European Parliament, Glyn Ford was a Senior Research Fellow in Manchester University’s Department of Science and Technology Policy. He also served as a Visiting Professor at Sussex University, the University of Tokyo and the East-West Centre in Hawaii.