© 2015 Manar Abu Talib. This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 license. Journal of Computer Science Original Research Paper Encouraging High School Student Interest in Computing Studies in GCC: UAE Case Study Manar Abu Talib Department of Computer Science, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box: 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Article history Received: 05-07-2015 Revised: 5-09-2015 Accepted: 30-10-2015 E-mail: mtalib@sharjah.ac.ae Abstract: Computational studies have an impact on fields like biology, chemistry, linguistics, psychology, economics and statistics. They develop skills such as problem solving and systems design and improve understanding about the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. The Global Science Forum emphasizes on collecting accurate and unbiased information as important strategy to increase the attractiveness of Science and Technology studies and careers. Such information should not only be shared with students but also to the education community and parents. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no research into student recruitment for computing studies in the GCC. To study recruitment in this research paper we focused on three groups: Parents, high school teachers and students. Sustainable communication and efforts with these groups will certainly be central to encouraging high school student interest in computing studies in the GCC. This study suggests a list of actions that may increase the enrollment in the fields of computing and represents a leading effort for other countries in the GCC specifically and the Arab world in general. Keywords: Computer Science, Student Recruitment, High School, Teachers, Students, Parents Introduction “Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes” Dijkstra said. According to the Computing at School Working Group, “Computer Science is deeply concerned with how computers and computer systems work and how they are designed and programmed. Pupils studying computing gain insight into computational systems of all kinds, whether or not they include computers. Computational thinking influences fields such as biology, chemistry, linguistics, psychology, economics and statistics. It allows us to solve problems, design systems and understand the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. It is a skill that empowers and that all pupils should be aware of and have some competence in. Furthermore, pupils who can think computationally are better able to conceptualise and understand computer-based technology and so are better equipped to function in modern society” (CSWG, 2014). Moreover, in the same CSWG study endorsed by the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS), Microsoft, Google and Intellect, the authors state that “Computer Science is a practical subject, where invention and resourcefulness are encouraged. Pupils are expected to apply the academic principles they have learned to the understanding of real-world systems and to the creation of purposeful artifacts. This combination of principles, practice and invention makes it an extraordinarily useful and an intensely creative subject, suffused with excitement, both visceral (“it works!”) and intellectual (“that is so beautiful”).” Based on worldwide computer science enrollment data over the past three decades, a majority of academics believe that enrollment numbers follow a cyclical pattern. Recent reports show that graduate and undergraduate enrollment has grown for a fifth straight year in the USA, (Zweben, 2013; Abu Talib and Elnagar, 2014). The numbers here in the UAE are no exception to this observation. Figure 1 shows the number of students enrolled in the department in the last five years. According to Abu Talib (Abu Talib and Elnagar, 2014; Abu Talib et al., 2012; Abu Talib and El Barachi, 2011), enrollment of students majoring in the computing field is still an issue for many universities all over the world.