Matt Cutts who works for google stated that edu links do not carry any more weight than other links. However, edu links are great because most edu sites are old and they have thousands of backlinks. You can get some edu links here http://www.edutextlink.com/programs.html
Only places I've gotten .edu backlinks form are blogs which have re-syndicated things that I have written and included a link back. Other than that you have to buy them typically, you will need some kind of connection to get decent links.
If you have a quality website with quality content, you can contact professors directly (related to your topic), and let them know about your website. Kindly ask about a link on their site. You'll be surprised that many of them will be kind and put a link. P.S. If you send them an automated email with link exchange request. They'll simply add your email address to their block list.
I would say blogs are the best way to get edu links. I think .gov and .edu help boost rank. What sites in the UK increase rank?
Why would Matt from Google tell you that edu links are powerful? Do you think it is in his best interest to disclose any information that would let you in on their secret. Anyone listening to Matt for SEO tips is foolish, he is like a machine, only says what is the right thing to say. Edu domains are the oldest and largest on the planet, look up nearly any topic on earth and the top 20+ results have 3-4 .edu results, even though edu domains only make up about 1/4 of 1 % of all domains. You do the math. Good Luck, getting those EDU links some guys want $300-$500 per month for them. JT
the best thing to do is to get links with sites relevant to your niche... .edu is hard to get, expensive and doesnt have much more weight (if any) than another backlink of same PR