A Sri Lankan by nationality, Manil Cooray hails from Colombo, Sri Lanka.

She served the AIBD since 1991 to 1998 as Trainer Methodology, Women & Children and took up appointment as a Programme Manager in October 1999 to serve the institute for the second time.

An alumni of Radio Netherland Training Center ,The Netherlands, Manil holds professional qualifications in TV Production, Training Methodology, Training of Trainers. She is specialized in Human Resource Development in Broadcasting with special reference to Adult Education and Broadcast Training.

Ms. Manil Cooray

Her experience ranges from designing, and working as a regional consultant in Training of Broadcast Trainers , and implemented gender sensitive and community based projects on issues relevant to the social upliftment of Women and Children. Her special area of interest in Children is organizing training on the Convention on the Rights of the Child , Media Violence in children’s television for those involved in children’s programming. In the area of women’s
development. Manil has organised training on Gender sensitization, Gender equality and advocacy through the electronic media, Gender and Television , Scriptwriting for Women’s programmes (Radio & Television), Media and Reproductive Health: Strategies for Advocacy and Action, and Broadcast Management for Women Managers on a regular basis with international consultants and renowned partners for the benefit of media practitioners of AIBD’s members in the Asia-Pacific region including South Africa and Central Asia.

She was engaged as a free lance consultant to Radio Television Brunei, for in-house training in 1998.

Her career experience in Radio, TV Broadcasting and Broadcast Training spans over 25 years. Having started her career in broadcasting at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, followed by the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation , she held senior positions and possess experience in professional radio and TV programme production in entertainment & western music. Stepping on to broadcast training in 1984, she was the Assistant Director Training at the Sri Lanka Television Training Institute prior to joining AIBD in 1991.

Manil contributes articles to UNESCO’s International Clearing House on Children and Violence on the Screen at Göteborg University in Sweden. She is also a member of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) in Sweden.

Graduated from the Northern Territory University of Darwin Australia , Manil holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching (Adult & Vocational). An accomplished pianist she holds both Performer and Teacher's Diplomas in Pianoforte from the Trinity College of Music London, United Kingdom.