"Abstract: “Ortega y Gasset’s Philosophy of Life and His Idea of Europe” The aim of the philosophical research project “Ortega y Gasset’s Philosophy of Life and His Idea of Europe” is to enable a twofold synthesis under a systematic perspective: The first stage consists in developing a philosophical notion of culture as well as a notion of cultural consciousness within an interdisciplinary bridging of Philosophy and Spanish Studies. The second stage will be marked by a shift from cultural philosophy to European Studies. Europe will be examined as a paradigmatic example of a historically growing, self-contained cultural reality with a specific mode of consciousness and awareness of life manifested in local customs. From a historical perspective the thought of José Ortega y Gasset constitutes the core of the project. José Ortega y Gasset is considered to be the most significant Spanish thinker of the twentieth century. The project aims not only to examine his work as an original conception of a philosophy of life and culture, but also to outline Ortega’s importance as a pioneer in European integration. It is my intention to combine through this project the two subjects I have studied, Philosophy and Spanish Studies, in order to improve my skills in intercultural academic dialogue. At the same time I hope to carve out a research profile in European Studies through the application of various theoretical approaches to a number of research areas, thus improving my qualifications and broadening my academic prospects throughout Europe. The internationally renowned host organisation I am working with in this research project - Instituto de Filosofia (CSIC) in Madrid – is an excellent starting point to develop this new perspective. The project “Ortega y Gasset’s Philosophy of Life and His Idea of Europe” was conceived as a contribution to the further development of a European identity and consciousness and a significant bridge between German and Spanish European research."