1. CURRICULUM VITAE
Date: 2015-07-01
1. Family name: BÄCKMAN
2. First name: Kjell Örjan Inge Folke
3. Date of birth: Day: 08, Month: 11, Year: 1943
4. Nationality: Swedish
5. Civil status: Married
6. Profession: Ass. Professor in Special Education (retired 2009)
7. Former Position: Ass. Professor in Special Education; Director of Research
Studies in Special Education; In charge of training special
pedagogues/low vision therapists in visual impairment;
Project Coordinator of an institutional cooperation with
Department of Education/Directorate Inclusive Education in
South Africa on "Building an Inclusive Education and
Training System"
8. Years within the
firm:
Since 1976-2014 (and part-time still) = 38 years
9. Membership of
professional bodies:
International Society for Low-vision Research and
Rehabilitation;
Association of Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired in
Sweden;
International Professional Expert Group: Toward a Reduction
in the Global Impact of Low Vision
10. Other skills: (e.g.
computer literacy
etc.):
Computer literate
11. Key Qualifications: training of special pedagogues/teachers; visual
impairment/low vision; research in low vision; consultancy in special
education/inclusive education; evaluation of Swedish support to special
education/inclusive education; research in inclusive education and development of
pre-service and in-service courses
12. International experience (mention only country and approximate time period):
South Africa (1997, 2003- 2009), 2011-2013
Botswana (1983-1998, 2007,) 2011-2013
Namibia 2011-2013
Malawi (1985), Zambia (1985, 1989),
Tanzania (1993), Zimbabwe (1996)
Sri Lanka (1988, 1993), Pakistan (1996),
Indonesia (2000), China (2001), India (2006)
Comments: Working experience since 1983 from
seven African and five Asian countries: Botswana-
almost 4 years in the Ministry of Education-,
Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa,
Namibia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, China, India.
Long- term institutional cooperation between
Stockholm Institute of Education/Stockholm
University on special education/inclusive education
with Botswana 1990-1998, with South Africa 2003-
2009 and with Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
2011- 2013 should be added. See further below!
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2. 13. Education (in reverse chronological order):
Institution: Karolinska Institute Medical
University, Department of Clinical Science,
Division of Ophthalmology Stockholm,
Sweden
Institution: University of Uppsala,
Department of Teacher Education, Uppsala,
Sweden
Date: 2000 Date: 1969
Degree: PhD (in ophthalmiatrics: low vision
rehabilitation)
Degree: Diploma: Subject Teacher Training
Programme for upper-secondary school
Institution: Stockholm Institute of Education,
Department of Special Education
Institution: University of Gothenburg
(Göteborg), Sweden
Date: 1978 Date: 1967 and 1966
Degree: Certification Low Vision Therapist Degrees: MA/M Ed (1967); BA/B Ed (1966)
14. Employment record (in reverse chronological order)
Date: 1976-2014, SEE ABOVE!
Location: Stockholm, SWEDEN
Company: Stockholm Institute of Education 1976-2007 and after the merging
Stockholm University (from 2008)
Position: Ass. Professor in Special Education/ Director of Research Studies in
Special Education/International Project Coordinator
Brief description: Different positions since 1976: Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Deputy Head
of Department, Director of Research Studies, Coordinator of institutional
cooperation with third-world countries. At retirement, Director of
Research Studies in Special Education and responsible for doctoral
students, responsible for training special pedagogues/low vision
therapists in visual impairment, and Project Coordinator (2003-2009) of
an institutional cooperation with Department of Education/Directorate
Inclusive Education in South Africa on “Building an Inclusive Education
and Training System”. After retirement Member of the Project Steering
Group for “Learning for Democracy: A Partner-driven North/South
Collaboration on Inclusive Education” (2011-2013
Date: 1997-2002 (on part-time leave from the Stockholm Institute of
Education
Location: Uppsala, SWEDEN
Company: Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired
Position: Manager
Brief description: In charge of building up a Knowledge and Documentation Centre on
Visual Impairment in Uppsala/Enskede. Documentation of research,
dissemination of results, information, assistance to researchers, running
continuation courses
Date: 1970-1976/77
Location: Uppsala, SWEDEN
Company: Swedish National Board of Education/National Labour Market Board
Position: Subject Teacher (Swedish, English) and Low Vision Therapist
Brief description: Rehabilitation/Vocational Training of Adults with Visual Impairment
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3. 15. Relevant experience. Description of participation in projects of relevance (in
reverse chronological order):
Project title: Learning for democracy: A Partner-driven
North/South collaboration on Inclusive Education
Country and location: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Sweden.
Date: 2011-2014
Donor/client: Sida
Brief project description: The Project has been a collaborative effort
between the Department of Special Education at
Stockholm University and Ministries of
Education, Universities and NGOs in three
countries: Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
The Project aimed at strengthening the on-going
implementation of inclusive education in the
countries. It has viewed inclusive education as
essential to the development of a democratic
school system and society. An Action Research
approach has been used as pedagogical means of
promoting inclusive education practice. It has
further initiated the development of a Master’s
degree programme.
Consultant’s role and responsibility in
project:
Member of the Stockholm University Project
Steering Group
No. person weeks or months: 10 % of full- time post per year
Project title: Rapid Partnership Mechanism (RPM)- Planning
Grant
Country and location: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and
Sweden
Date: 2009-2010
Donor/client: Sida
Brief project description: Investigate a collaborative initiative of Stockholm
University, Department of Special Education and
MIET, Africa, which builds on and expands the
Inclusive Education work these two organisations
have started with the Ministry of Education in
South Africa. The main purpose is to initiate and
focus on educational democracy as a vital part of
inclusive education. Among others, a Planning
Workshop, involving representatives from the
listed countries, was held in Durban, South Africa
in October 2010.
Consultant’s role and responsibility in
project:
One of two responsible persons of the Department
of Special Education, Stockholm University.
No. person weeks or months: 12 months
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4. Project title: "Building an Inclusive Education and Training
System"- Institutional cooperation between
Stockholm Institute of Education/Stockholm
University, Department of Special Education and
Department of Education/Directorate Inclusive
Education, South Africa
Country and location: South Africa, Pretoria and other South African
places
Date: 2003-2009
Donor/client: Sida
Brief project description: Coordination; training workshops for (special)
teachers; transformation of special schools into
resource centres; research; study visits/staff
exchange; research collaboration with universities
in South Africa
Consultant’s role and responsibility in
project:
Swedish Project Coordinator
No. person weeks or months: 20 % of full- time post per year allocated for the
project coordination plus shorter and longer work
periods in South Africa
Project title: "Support to Special Education"- Institutional
cooperation between Stockholm Institute of
Education, Department of Special Education and
Division of Special Education of the Ministry of
Education and University of Botswana
Country and location: Botswana, Gaborone and other Botswana places
Date: 1990-1998
Donor/client: Sida
Brief project description: Coordination and management; consultancies in
all areas of special education; staff development;
teaching/learning devices; establishing of a
Central Resource Centre for Special Education;
study visits; support to introduced special teacher
training programme at the University of
Botswana; research studies
Consultant’s role and responsibility in
project:
Swedish Project Coordinator
No. person weeks or months: 20 % of full- time post per year allocated for the
project coordination plus shorter and longer work
periods in Botswana, especially at the Central
Resource Centre and University of Botswana
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5. Project title: Consultancies on special education/inclusive
education/visual impairment/low
vision/evaluation of Swedish support to
special education
Country and location: Botswana (1983, 1989, 2007)), South Africa
(1997, 2003, 2004), Malawi (1985), Zambia
(1985, 1989), Tanzania (1993), Zimbabwe (1996),
Sri Lanka (1988, 1993), Pakistan (1996),
Indonesia (2000), China (2001), India (2006)
Date: 1983-2007
Donor/client: Sida, Norad, WHO, Stockholm Institute of
Education
Brief project description: Assignments have included the
establishment of units for special education
on ministerial levels; special teacher
training; establishing of a Teacher Training
College for Special Education; introduction
of and training workshops in low vision;
evaluation of Swedish assistance to special
education etc.
Consultant’s role and responsibility
in project:
Consultant
No. person weeks or months: Approximately 23 months
Project title: Swedish assistance to special education in
Botswana
Country and location: Botswana, Gaborone
Date: 1983-1987
Donor/client: Sida
Brief project description: Administration; planning; establishing a
Special Education Unit; policy issues; staff
development; special teacher training;
disability detection surveys; establishing a
Central Resource Centre for Special
education; budgeting; information
dissemination; production of
teaching/learning devices
Consultant’s role and responsibility
in project:
Sida-contract employment: Senior Education
Officer/Special Education in the Ministry of
Education of Botswana
No. person weeks or months: Almost 4 years
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6. 16. Publications (selections)
Bäckman, Ö. (1983). Special Education in Botswana. Hints and directions for a policy on
the education of handicapped children. Stockholm/Gaborone: Sida/Botswana Ministry of
Education.
Bäckman, Ö., & Kesupile, A.S. (1984). Policy on Special Education.. Gaborone: Botswana
Ministry of Education.
Bäckman, Ö., & Kesupile, A.S. (1985). Special Education. Information and Ideas.
Gaborone: Botswana Ministry of Education.
Bäckman, Ö. (1986). Some hints on training visual efficiency of mentally retarded children.
Gaborone: Botswana Ministry of Education.
Bäckman, Ö. (1986). The Visually-Impaired Child. Gaborone: Botswana Ministry of
Education.
Bäckman, Ö. (1988). Review of the Curriculum for Teacher Training in the field of Visual
Impairment. Stockholm/Colombo: Sida/Sri Lanka Ministry of Education.
Bäckman, Ö., & Odin, B. (1989). Evaluation of Special Education in Zambia.
Stockholm/Lusaka: Sida/Zambia Ministry of Education.
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Bäckman, Ö. (1992). Comprehensive Low Vision Services. In Proceedings from Expert
Seminar on Low Vision Services and Vision Efficiency Training Programme, Gaborone,
Botswana, chap.3, 1-22. Bensheim, Germany: Christoffel Blind Mission.
Bäckman, Ö. (1993). Assessment of Patandi Special Teacher Training College in
Tanzania. Needs, requirements and strategies for the development of the College to a
standard internationally acceptable. Stockholm/Dar-Es-Salaam: Stockholm Institute of
Education/Tanzania Ministry of Education.
Bäckman, Ö., Hedvall, Å., Hadebe, J.A., & Mavundukure, G. (1996). Evaluation Study of
the Special Education Programme in Zimbabwe. Stockholm/Harare: Sida/Zimbabwe
Ministry of Education.
Bäckman, Ö. (1997). Final report. Institutional Co-operation between the Ministry of
Education of Botswana, Division of Special Education and the Stockholm Institute of
Education of Sweden, Department of Special Education. Stockholm/Gaborone: Stockholm
Institute of Education/Botswana Ministry of Education. (In all 22 reports written 1990-
96).
Bäckman, Ö. (1998). Final Report. Institutional Co-operation between the University of
Botswana, Department of Educational Foundations -Special Education Unit- and the
Stockholm Institute of Education of Sweden, Department of Special Education.
Stockholm/Gaborone: Stockholm Institute of Education/University of Botswana.
Bäckman, Ö. (2000). Quality improvement of schools for children with visual impairment-
P-177. Co-operation between Braillo Norway A/S-Department of Special Education,
University of Oslo-Indonesian Government. Report from six weeks participation as lecturer
and examiner. Jakarta-Oslo: Department of Special Education, University of Oslo.
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7. Bäckman, Ö. (2000). Re-establishing Reading Skills of Elderly Low Vision Patients.
Studies on Swedish Low Vision Clinic Clients. Doctoral dissertation in Medical Science.
Stockholm: Karolinska Institute Medical University. ISBN 91-628-4577-2.
Bäckman, Ö. (2000). Vision Rehabilitation Services in Europe and Africa. In The
Lighthouse Handbook on Vision Impairment and Vision Rehabilitation (Volume two, 751-
761). New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Bäckman, Ö. & Helldin, R. (2003). Building an Inclusive Education and Training System.
Possibilities of cooperation with the Directorate for Inclusive Education of the Department
of Education and Teacher Training Institutions in South Africa. Report from a first visit.
Stockholm: Stockholm Institute of Education/Sida.
Bäckman, Ö. & Helldin, R. (2004). Building an Inclusive Education and Training System.
Possibilities of cooperation with the Directorate for Inclusive Education of the Department
of Education and Teacher Training Institutions in South Africa. Report from a second visit.
Stockholm: Stockholm Institute of Education/Sida.
Bäckman, Ö. & Helldin, R. (2005). Cooperation between the Department of Education,
South Africa and the Stockholm Institute of Education. Research Policy. Stockholm:
Stockholm Institute of Education.
Bäckman, Ö. & Helldin, R. (2005). Inclusive Education. Policy paper. Stockholm:
Stockholm Institute of Education.
Bäckman, Ö. (2006). Cooperation between the Department of Education/Directorate
Inclusive Education, South Africa and the Stockholm Institute of Education on Building an
Inclusive Education and Training System. First Periodic Report covering November 1,
2005 – May 31, 2006. Stockholm: LHS.
Bäckman, Ö. (2007). Cooperation between the Department of Education/Directorate
Inclusive Education, South Africa and the Stockholm Institute of Education on Building an
Inclusive Education and Training System. Second Periodic Report covering June 1, 2006 –
June 30, 2007. Stockholm: LHS.
Bäckman, Ö. & Helldin, R. (2009). Cooperation between the Department of Education/
Directorate Inclusive Education, South Africa and the Stockholm Institute of Education
(merger of the Stockholm Institute of Education with the Stockholm University from
2008-01-01) on Building an Inclusive Education and Training System. Final Report
covering November, 2005 – January, 2009. Stockholm: Stockholm University.
Abosi, O., Bäckman, Ö., Helldin, R., Molosiwa, S. & Suarau, M. (1998). A Study on
Special Education taught at Primary Teacher Training Colleges in Botswana. Gaborone:
University of Botswana, Department of Educational Foundations, Special Education Unit.
Arditi, A., Bäckman, Ö., Bellow Towfik, M., Bina, M., den Brinker, B., Broggini, M.,
Corn, A., et al. (2005). Toward a Reduction in the Global Impact of Low Vision. Report of
the International Professional Expert Group from Workshop in Oslo, Norway, October 17
24, 2004. New York: ISLRR.
Helldin, R., & Bäckman, Ö. (2010). Rapid Partnership Mechanism (RPM)-Planning
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8. Grant.
Final Report to Sida. Stockholm: Stockholm University.
Helldin, R., Bäckman, Ö., Dwyer, H., Skarlind, A., Hugo, A.J., Nel, N. & Müller H.(2011).
Opportunities for a democratic pedagogy: a comparative study of South African and
Swedish teachers' attitudes to inclusive education. Journal of Research in Special
Educational Needs, Volume 11, Number 2, 107-119. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK.
Helldin, R., Bäckman, Ö., Sahlin, B & Tah, J. (2014). Learning for Democracy: Partner
Driven Collaboration on Inclusive Education (AKT-2010-037). Final Report to Sida.
Stockholm: Stockholm University.
Hugo, A.J., Nel, N., Müller, H., Helldin, R., Bäckman, Ö., Dwyer, H., & Skarlind, A.
(2011). A comparative perspective on teacher attitude- constructs that impact on Inclusive
Education in South Africa and Sweden. South African Journal of Education, Vol 31, 74-90.
17. Language skills (according to Sida’s 5-level scale – 5 is best)
Language Level
Swedish Mother tongue
English 5
German 3
French 2
18. Others (optional): Swedish and international pioneer in low vision rehabilitation
with many consultancy assignments all over the world; Member of Sida´s reference
committee for assistance to special education/disabled people (1991-1995); One of
three responsible officers of ITERMS (International Teacher Education and Research
Multidisciplinary Support) at Stockholm Institute of Education (2004-2007). The main
objective of ITERMS was to meet the increasing demand for commissioned education
from third world countries as well as from member states of the European Union;
Member of Organisation/Scientific Committees for International World Conferences on
Low Vision (Gothenburg 2000-2002, Montreal 2007-2008).
19. References (optional):
Gunnar Lennerstrand, Professor, Karolinska Institute Medical University, Bernadotte
Laboratories, St. Erik Eye Hospital, Polhemsgatan 50, SE-112 82, Stockholm, SWEDEN
Telephone: +46 (0)8 672 36 66, Fax: +46 (0)8 672 33 30,
E-mail: gunnar.lennerstrand@klinvet.ki.se
Mats Myrberg, Professor, Stockholm University, Department of Special Education,
SE-106 91 Stockholm, SWEDEN, Telephone: +46 (0)70 714 37 46
20. Personal data
Name: BÄCKMAN, Kjell Örjan Inge Folke
Address: Place of work: Stockholm University, Department of Special Education,
SE-106 91 Stockholm, SWEDEN. Residence: Bonadsvägen 21, SE-757 57
Uppsala, SWEDEN.
Telephone no. Place of work: +46 (0)8 1207 6422; Residence: +46 (0)18 42 58 95;
+46 (0)70 728 84 46
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9. Fax no. Place of work: +46 (0)8 1207 6420
E-mail: orjan.backman@specped.su.se
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10. Fax no. Place of work: +46 (0)8 1207 6420
E-mail: orjan.backman@specped.su.se
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