A farmer’s son from Cauayan City, Isabela earned a full scholarship to Duke University in 2021, placing a student from Philippine Science High School, Cagayan Valley Campus, among a select group of international scholars admitted to the American university.
Duke University announced on June 7, 2021 that Edrian Paul Liao was one of 13 incoming first-year students awarded the Karsh International Scholarship. The grant covers the full cost of tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees for four years. Duke also said Karsh scholars receive access to funding for domestic and international experiences, including independent research during summer and the academic year.
The award carried major weight for Liao, who came from a farming family in Isabela. His father worked as a farmer, while his mother was reported as a homemaker and former midwife. Liao also received a full scholarship offer from Jacobs University in Germany, but chose Duke.
He was reported at the time as the first Filipino recipient of the Karsh International Scholarship Program. Duke’s official announcement confirmed his selection as a Karsh scholar, but did not state whether he was the first Filipino awardee.
Liao initially planned to pursue Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Computer Science and a certificate in Aerospace Engineering. His later Duke profile listed him under Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science, with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
His goal was tied to the realities of farming communities at home. Liao said Philippine agriculture remained a major sector but still needed innovation.
“I want to fill in that gap once I return from the U.S. full of knowledge and experiences,” he said.
The story drew attention because the scholarship opened access to world-class training, research, and global academic networks for a student from a farming household. It also placed a clear public purpose behind the achievement, with Liao pointing to technology, agriculture, and service to Filipino communities as part of the reason he pursued the opportunity.
