About
Eva Rein is a Lecturer in English Language and Canadian Literature at the University of Tartu, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures. She has maintained continuous affiliation with the University of Tartu since 1996, beginning in the Faculty of Philosophy, College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, and later transitioning to her current position in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities since 2021.
Dr. Rein holds a Specialist's Diploma in English Philology and as a teacher of English language and literature from Tartu State University (1989), equivalent to a Master's degree. She is currently pursuing her PhD under Tiina Ann Kirss with her dissertation focusing on 'Trauma, Memory and Narrative in Joy Kogawa's Obasan and Ene Mihkelson's Ahasveeruse uni.' Her educational foundation was established at Fr. R. Kreutzwald Võru Secondary School No. 1 (1973-1984).
Her research explores the intersection of Canadian literature, comparative literature, and narrative theory, with particular emphasis on trauma narratives, memory studies, and cultural identity formation. Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent engagement with literary representations of historical trauma, particularly in works by Joy Kogawa and Ene Mihkelson, examining how narrative structures convey intergenerational trauma and cultural memory across different national contexts. Her work bridges North American and Estonian literary traditions, creating valuable cross-cultural dialogues.
Dr. Rein has received significant recognition through multiple grants from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada for projects including 'Forgetting and Remembering' (2010), 'The World in Canada, Canada in the World' (2007), and 'Home and Exile' (2004). She also received the Medal of the Scientific Society of Students for her diploma thesis in 1989.
She has supervised numerous master's students on diverse topics ranging from literary analysis to language teaching methodologies, demonstrating her dual commitment to research and pedagogy. Her administrative contributions include organizing the International Tartu Conferences on Canadian Studies since 1998 and serving as Canadian Studies coordinator at the University of Tartu since 1998. She is an active member of both the Canadian Comparative Literature Association (since 2006) and the Estonian Comparative Literature Association (since 1999).
