Mitsuru Homma, the chief of Sanyo's power unit, said the hybrid power pack should be available within two years.

BBC: NEWS | Technology | Laptops with fuel cells approach

In Britain, Mr Homma notes, a quarter of all students are over 25, while in his country the figure is only 2.7%.

ECONOMIST: Higher education

Like many of his counterparts in rich and not-so-rich countries, Mr Homma looks forward to a world where educational shoppers take a hard look at what is on offer in the global supermarket before settling for a home-made product.

ECONOMIST: Higher education