"Without a huge global event like the Olympics next year, we need to keep on finding smart new ways to share our soft power assets: English, our education system, our vibrant arts scene and our entrepreneurial spirit, " he said.

BBC: Olympics and Jubilee 'boost international opinion of UK'

And with all the Baby Boomer spawn coming on the college scene, the average age of enrollment is dropping, says Thomas Bailey, professor of education and economics at Teachers College at Columbia University.

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Mr Ellicock, who now runs an education charity, was wounded in his arms, fingers and legs and had to be evacuated from the scene by helicopter.

BBC: London Marathon: Ex-paratrooper beats backpack record