Dr. Nilan Cooray is a chartered architect, a heritage conservationist and management specialist by profession. He obtained his undergraduate and postgraduate training in both Architecture and Conservation from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. His doctoral studies carried out at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands analyzes the architectural composition of the landscape design of Sigiriya (a World Heritage Site) with a particular emphasis on the design tools and techniques employed, and the design principles and rules applied by the designers in the royal complex and utilizes the results of the analysis to make recommendations to conserve its total landscape from a
heritage point of view. He has more than 28 years of experience in managing and conserving built heritage in various capacities in Sri Lanka (predominantly at the Central Cultural Fund from 1989 to 2017). He has also served as an international expert and conservation specialist working in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa for a number of projects funded or executed by UNESCO, ICOMOS, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the European Union. Currently he also serves as the Secretary General of the National Trust – Sri Lanka and the Joint Secretary of ICOMOS (Sri Lanka).