Book excerpt: In Asia, we are witnessing an era where the pendulum of power is swaying towards the East with the rising strength of China and India and Singapore is at the 'crossroads' between these populous nations. Although Singapore may appear to be the most westernized country in Asia, she is nevertheless a multi-cultural Asian society. Having the most open economy in the world, Singapore is plugged into the global marketplace of education and learning. The development of human capital is used as a strategic economic driver to internationalize and transform education for sustainable competitive advantage. Singapore's education system, regarded as one of the best performing in the world, offers a unique opportunity to explore the issues where east and west culture, values, beliefs and educational systems meet and adapt to bridge the divide. This first-of-its-kind book puts together topical key notions of eastern and western educational practices and looks at the underbelly of how a small 'resourceless' independent city-state like Singapore is managing to stay relevant against a backdrop of ever increasing intense global competition.