The quest for a coherent worldview may strike many as outmoded and quaint: unnecessary from a modern and impossible from a post-modern point of view. Yet, the search for meaningful and integrated understanding of reality is as relevant today as ever; indeed maybe more so, given the weakening of traditional worldviews under the influence of rapid globalization. Our interdisciplinary inquiries into comprehensive coherence have led to the creation of the "Kira Institute".

Kira’s mission is to combine the elements of universality and personal involvement. At present, science is basically universal in the way it is practiced, largely independent of nationality or personal belief system, where personal involvement is specifically discouraged. Systems aimed at developing and guiding personal aspirations, from religions to ideologies to humanistic programs, do encourage involvement, but at the cost of universality. Kira promotes the idea that a synthesis between involvement and universality holds the key for developing a framework within which to confront the problems facing our society in the 21st century.

To make this vision a reality, Kira is exploring the use of virtual worlds to develop new forms of research and education, rooted in scientific and scholarly traditions but unconfined by the usual disciplinary and academic boundaries or by geographical limitations. Virtual worlds are media where professionals, amateurs, teachers, and students, from all over the globe, can engage in open dialog. In this setting, Kira facilitates peer based collaborations in fields as diverse as science, art, philosophy, and other ways of knowing.