Swabi      -   Speakers in a one-day seminar on “Redefining Education in 21st Century” at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology said that Pakistan is required to make durable and result-oriented reforms in its education policy if the rulers of the country desire to catch up with the current rapidly changing technological and scientific world. Rector of GIK Institute, pro-rectors, deans, directors, faculty members and students belonging to different disciplines of engineering and management sciences participated in the seminar. Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqi, a well-known writer and former Vice-Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad was the key speaker on the occasion. Participants said that the past track record reveals that successive governments had repeatedly claimed that reforms in the education sector were among the top priorities but the ground realities were different, leading to Pakistan lagging in the education field and suffering of the country in all spheres of life. Prof Siddiqi who wrote nine books on the education system in Pakistan said access to contemporary education should be a top priority of the government, practical steps must be taken to survive in the present changing world and make true our dream of economic prosperity while acquiring a valuable place in the comity of nations. “There is no alternative to education. It is the only panacea of all our ills but only lip service to knowledge would not work. Creating opportunities for the younger generation and making the field attractive for them would be a great step,” he said. Prof Siddiqi said that we could create a better world and conducive environment only through quality education, focusing on major advances in science and technology, encouraging the interest of the youngsters in learning.