ISLAMABAD, DEC 13, SPA -- Pakistan Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Ataur Rehman says the Islamic World invests a mere 0.2 per cent of its GDP in research and development activities while 4-7 per cent of GDP formed its defense expenditure. He was addressing the a two-day international seminar on Intellectual property and innovative value in the knowledge economy, organized by the Pakistan Academy of Science and Network of Academies of Science in Countries of Organization of Islamic Conference. Rehman expressed regret over the lack of commitment by Muslim countries for research development. The HEC chief said that an educated work force could play a million times over the fancy of defense weapons. Our real defense is our educated youth, he added and stressed the need to realize that the real investment should be in the education of our youth. He said that in today s fast changing world, the only constant was change and to keep abreast of these changes it was necessary to harness the pool of creativity available in the 85 million youth under the age of 19 that Pakistan possessed. Rehman said Pakistan has decided to uplift its institutions of higher education through science and technology and relevance of education available in the country. For this purpose, he said, the HEC is funding massive scholarship to European countries a programme designed to attract high faculty from abroad to teach in local institutions and use of technology of leapfrog through the digital library, video lecturing system and MIT mirror web site availability in Pakistan. Scientists from Egypt, Senegal, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Tajikistan, Malaysia and Uganda presented papers.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/410910