Aija Sakova

Manager of Business Cooperation and Knowledge Transfer

Born on 5 December 1980 in Tallinn

Education

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

Career

2021–               Manager of Business Cooperation and Knowledge Transfer at Tallinn University 
2017–2021       Senior researcher at the Estonian Literary Museum 
2016–2017       Head of Development and Communication at the Academic Library of Tallinn University
2012–2016       Head of Baltica and Rare Books Conservation Department at the Academic Library of Tallinn University
2012–2014       Teacher of bases of research at Kadrioru German High School
2005–2009       Editor of the journal “Universitas Tartuensis” of the University of Tartu
2005–2005       Cultural manager of the Tartu German Cultural Institute
2004–2005       Reporter of the journal “Universitas Tartuensis” 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’s, Christa Wolf’s, Ingeborg Bachmann’s and Viivi Luik’s 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 ETIS. 

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 “Ausgraben und Erinnern” (Excavation and Memory, 2016) and “The Poetics of Remembrance” (2020), a collection of essays and interviews “Pain, Memory, Literature” (2017), an essayistic book popularising literature “The Courage of Living. Letters to Käbi” (2019) and a collection of poems “Father’s Kiss” (2020).

I am a member of the Estonian Writers’ 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.