Champika Liyanaarachchi is a journalist, an academic and the first woman to be the editor of a daily newspaper in Sri Lanka. Liyanaarachchi was the Editor of Sri Lanka's largest selling independent English daily, the Daily Mirror from January 2007 to January 2015. She stepped down from editor post in January 2015 on completing eight years as editor. Currently she serves as the Consultant editor of the paper.
Liyanaarachchi was appointed the Editor-In-Chief of Daily Mirror in January 2007 and under her the Daily Mirror became the first ever Sri Lankan newspaper to break news on web 24/7 dailymirror.lk as well as on iPad. Besides, in 2009 she started Mirror's Tamil news website tamilmirror.lk, and also the Daily Mirror mobile breaking news service with two mobile phone operators.
Three years after taking over duties as Chief Editor, Liyanaarachchi managed to double the circulation of the Daily Mirror. The Sri Lanka Representative for Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters without Borders) from 2003-2006, Liyanaarachchi was a member of the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) from 2003 – 2012. She was a speaker at the 2009 World Editors’ Forum as well.
Liyanaarachchi has a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura offered her a youth fellowship after she became the student to get the highest marks for English literature in the first year. This fellowship, granted to the university by the Japanese government, saw her travelling to South Africa, Tanzania, UAE and Japan within a span of three months. She was the president of the English Literary Association of the university and joined the Mirror editorial while still being a second year student.
Liyanaarachchi also holds a master's degree’ Degree in Conflict Resolution (MCR) from the University of Colombo.
She was a lecturer in Human Rights at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo.
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is a public university in Sri Lanka. It is in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the country's administrative capital. It was formed in 1958 from the Vidyodaya Pirivena, a Buddhist educational centre which was founded in 1873 by Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera.
Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is a former Sri Lankan politician and military officer, who served as the eighth President of Sri Lanka from 18 November 2019 until his resignation on 14 July 2022. He previously served as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development from 2005 to 2015 under the administration of his elder brother former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, during the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
Otara Gunewardene is a Sri Lankan entrepreneur, animal welfare advocate, conservationist and philanthropist. She is the founder of ODEL, Embark and Otara Foundation.
Mervyn de Silva was a Sri Lankan journalist. He was the editor in chief of Lake House and of The Times of Ceylon, editor of the Ceylon Daily News and the Lanka Guardian.
Upatissa Atapattu Bandaranayake Wasala Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Shirani Anshumala Bandaranayake, known as Shirani Bandaranayake, served as the 43rd Chief Justice of Sri Lanka. Although a qualified lawyer, she has never practiced law. After university Bandaranayake entered academia, holding a number of senior positions at the University of Colombo, including associate professor of law and the dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo. She was first appointed to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in 1996, becoming Sri Lanka's first female Supreme Court Judge. Bandaranayake was appointed chief justice in May 2011 following the mandatory retirement of Asoka de Silva. Bandaranayake was controversially impeached by Parliament and then removed from office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in January 2013. and on 28 January 2015 the government of Sri Lanka, had removed all obstacles for Bandaranayake to hold her position as the 43rd Chief Justice by the President Maithripala Sirisena, on the ground that her 2013 impeachment was unlawful and as such the appointment of Mohan Peiris, her successor, was void Ab initio. This paved the way for Bandaranayake to resume duties on 28 January 2015. She retired from the position on 29 January 2015, one day after her reappointment, claiming support for a free and fair Judiciary in Sri Lanka.
Devaka Fernando is a Sri Lankan physician and academic. He was president of the Osteoporosis Society of Sri Lanka and the Founding Professor of Medicine at the University of Sri Jayawardanapura.
Diyogu Badathuruge Dhanapala (1905-1971) was a pioneering Sri Lankan journalist and writer.
Pallewatta Gamaralalage Kumarasinghe Sirisena, sometimes known as P. G. Kumarasinghe, is a Sri Lankan business executive and former Group Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom. He is the younger brother of the former President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena.
Saman Tilakasiri was a Sri Lankan poet, journalist and an award-winning author. He was a Senior Editor with "Lankadeepa" at Times of Ceylon and the Chief Editor of "Rasavahini" magazine. His published work include research on Sinhala literature, Sinhala grammar lessons, and a number of popular Sinhala books for children and youngsters, several of which won national awards, presidential award and UNICEF Book Competition for "Year of the Children 1979". Children's books by Saman Tilakasiri have become classic contributions to the Sri Lankan and Sinhala literature due to their unique story-telling style that combines conversational and lyrical poetic expression to tell a story which is also enjoyed by adults.
Satsorupavathy Nathan also known as Carcorupavati Natan was a Sri Lankan female Tamil radio broadcaster and a news presenter. She was popular among the Sinhalese society due to her fluency in all three languages of the country and also due to her ability to deal with other people of various castes and religions. She is considered one of the greatest Tamil women in Sri Lanka for contributing towards media.
The Sri Lanka Journalism Awards for Excellence is an awards ceremony held annually in Sri Lanka to recognize the achievements of print media journalists working in the country’s three main languages – Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Sampath Amaratunge is the chairman of the University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka. He was appointed by the president on 2 January 2020, and assumed the role the following day. Amaratunge was previously the vice-chancellor at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and the chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors (CVCD). He was elected as a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities United Kingdom as a member representing constituency II.
Basnayaka Yasarathnalage Gunapala Rathnasekara is a Sri Lankan academic, politician and Member of Parliament.
Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige is a Sri Lankan academic, university professor, researcher and scientist. She is the head as well as the professor at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Sciences of the Sri Jayawardenepura University, Faculty of Medical Sciences since 2020. She is a visiting lecturer at University of Oxford since 2008. She is married to Lasantha Malavige who is regarded as Sri Lanka's first sexologist.
Shameer Rasooldeen, is a Sri Lankan business person, journalist and a television news anchor. Shameer is the current host of Sri Lanka's only English Language current affairs program Face the Nation telecast on TV1. He currently holds the position of Group Director at the Capital Maharaja Organisation and currently heads the export arm of the Group, AF Jones Exporters Ceylon Private Limited. He is currently the youngest sitting member of the Capital Maharaja Organisation’s Board of Directors and the first appointment of Sashi Rajamahendran, after he took up the post of Chairman/Managing Director of Capital Maharaja. He has won two international awards and filed over 50 stories for CNN and Channel News Asia. Shameer is a CNN Fellow, Chevening fellow at St. Cross College University of Oxford and also a Dag Hammersjkold fellow.
Eva Ranaweera was feminist writer, poet and journalist who wrote in both English and Sinhala. She was the first editor of the magazine Vanitha Viththi.
The Aquinas College of Higher Studies also known as Aquinas University College is a Sri Lankan nonprofit private Tertiary education institute that provides both academic degrees and vocational training.
Kala Suri Barbara Sansoni was a Sri Lankan designer, artist, colourist, entrepreneur, and writer. She was known for her works in architecture, textile designs, and handwoven panels. She founded the Barefoot textile company, a company that is highly acclaimed for its handloom fabric. She also served as the chairperson and chief designer of Barefoot Pvt. Ltd for several years.
Aloka Pathirana FRCS, MBBS, MS, is a Sri Lankan surgeon, doctor, academic and Professor of Surgery. He is a Specialist in Cancer Surgery. He is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, since November 2020.
Chethika Gunasiri is a Sri Lankan environmental scientist and researcher. She is well known for her sustainability related efforts especially related to Colombo Wetland Management Strategy. She has often spoken about the importance of wetlands for a sustainable Colombo and she has raised awareness among public about the critical role played by wetlands for the sustainability and to attain sustainable urban future.