Manager of Business Cooperation and Knowledge Transfer

Aija Sakova

Born on 5 December 1980 in Tallinn

Education

2007鈥2013     University of Tartu, PhD in Literature and Cultural Research (2014)
2011鈥2013     DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Vladimir Admoni doctoral studies programme for post-graduate students of German studies in the Baltic states 
2010鈥2011     Humboldt University of Berlin (DAAD research scholarship)
2007鈥2008     University of Vienna (Herder scholarship)
2004鈥2007     University of Tartu, MA Germanic and Romance Languages and Literatures (2007)
2005               University of Konstanz (DAAD short-term research scholarship)
1999鈥2004     University of Tartu, BA in German Language and Literature
2002鈥2003     University of Konstanz, (DAAD and Erasmus scholarships)
1987鈥1999     Kadrioru German High School (Tallinn Secondary School No. 42)

Career

2021鈥               Manager of Business Cooperation and Knowledge Transfer at Tallinn University 
2017鈥2021       Senior researcher at the Estonian Literary Museum 
2016鈥2017       Head of Development and Communication at the Academic Library of Tallinn University
2012鈥2016       Head of Baltica and Rare Books Conservation Department at the Academic Library of Tallinn University
2012鈥2014       Teacher of bases of research at Kadrioru German High School
2005鈥2009       Editor of the journal 鈥淯niversitas Tartuensis鈥 of the University of Tartu
2005鈥2005       Cultural manager of the Tartu German Cultural Institute
2004鈥2005       Reporter of the journal 鈥淯niversitas Tartuensis鈥 of the University of Tartu

 

Main research and teaching areas

My research areas have been related to memory studies and memory philosophy, in other words, remembering and moral witnessing of the Second World War and its aftermath in literature. I have written on Ene Mihkelson鈥檚, Christa Wolf鈥檚, Ingeborg Bachmann鈥檚 and Viivi Luik鈥檚 prose.

I have also covered the issues of life-writing and identity formation in Estonian-Russian and Estonian expatriate literature. Due to my background of working in memory institutions, I have also written about the questions of access and context of cultural heritage.

The list of my research articles and information on supervised theses can be found in the Estonian Research Information System . 

Public engagement and social activity

The topics I have covered primarily in the form of opinion articles, essays and presentations are related to 1) the role of humanities and the responsibility of scholar, 2) slowing down, dedication and mastery, and 3) language learning and multilingualism. I have published one book in German and four books in Estonian: research monographs 鈥淎usgraben und Erinnern鈥 (Excavation and Memory, 2016) and 鈥淭he Poetics of Remembrance鈥 (2020), a collection of essays and interviews 鈥淧ain, Memory, Literature鈥 (2017), an essayistic book popularising literature 鈥淭he Courage of Living. Letters to K盲bi鈥 (2019) and a collection of poems 鈥淔ather鈥檚 Kiss鈥 (2020).

I am a member of the Estonian Writers鈥 Union and the Estonian National Library Research Council, a chairperson of the Ene Mihkelson Society and the head of the board of trustees of Kadrioru German High School. I organise literary and cultural events, moderate discussions on literature, art and research. I cooperate with the Esna Gallery.