A local student says her dream of moving to Japan is now up in the air after Edinburgh University delayed her degree results due to an ongoing marking boycott.
Hannah McCormick, 23, has been excitedly preparing for her move to the far east upon the completion of her Japanese degree, but now says those plans could fall through as she may not be able to secure a visa.
The university say they will supply students with a ‘letter of completed studies’, though whether this document will be recognised by the Japanese immigration services is currently unclear.
A marking and assessment boycott was brought in by the University and College Union due a dispute over staff working conditions and pay.
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This leaves Hannah in limbo, worrying that her future could be ruined. As an autistic person, she says the lack of direction is particularly stressful.
The news comes as thousands of students will graduate from the university without knowing which classification they have received, or whether they will have to take part in any resists after their graduation ceremony.
Hannah told Edinburgh Live : “I’m honestly just disgusted by the whole thing. I’m supposed to start a job in Japan in August so I need a visa by the end of July. In order to get a visa, I need a degree, it doesn’t matter about the classification, just a simple pass is enough.
“But the university can’t even give me that because of how terrible they’ve handled it. The obvious answer is to give the strikers a better pay deal but even without that, there’s so many better ways they could’ve handled it.
“They’ve told us they’ll give us a “letter of completion” but I have no idea if that’s enough to get my visa. It’s very difficult to contact the Japanese visa office and everything must be done through my boss and her labor manager so it takes time. I’m autistic so I struggle to deal with uncertainty and anxiety.
“It sounds dramatic but my mental well-being almost entirely depends on whether I can get this visa. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am now. So many other students feel the same, so Peter Mathieson almost certainly has (metaphorically) blood on his hands.”
Hannah first fell in love with Japan when she lived there for a year at 18, developing a fondness for the country’s rich history and culture. She now worries she’ll be kept apart from her boyfriend who lives there.
She added: “I lived in Japan for a year when I was 18 and I really felt at home there. I’m going to work in an international kindergarten.
“I have a boyfriend there too, and most of my hobbies and passions are in Japan as well. It’s all just so frustrating. It’s just the worry that my future might be ruined because of this."
Despite Hannah’s deep frustration, she remains in solidarity with the strikers and hopes a resolution can be found soon.
She said: “I’m in complete support and solidarity with the striking lecturers. Many of my own teachers decided to strike I am furious that the university refuses to make working conditions better for our hardworking staff.
“My teachers have been super supportive of me throughout my four years in Edinburgh and I don’t have the words to describe how grateful I am. And now they are being left to pick up the pieces of such a disastrous decision high up in management.”
A spokesman from the University of Edinburgh said: "Many of our final year students have received their degree results as expected today.
"Some students have received a provisional award and will receive their degree classification at a later date. For others, a decision regarding the outcome of their degree has been delayed owing to the marking and assessment boycott. We have contacted these students individually to advise them of next steps. We recognise the impact this is having on their lives and future plans and we share their frustration at being caught in the crossfire of this national dispute.
"Graduations will continue as planned. All students who have been awarded their degree, final or provisional, or who are awaiting a final decision on their degree outcome, will be able to participate in a ceremony. As in any year, those who have failed or not completed their final year for reasons not directly related to the marking and assessment boycott will not be able to participate in the graduation ceremony.
"Our priority now is to ensure that any outstanding exams and assessments are marked in a timely manner while maintaining rigorous academic standards, so that we can provide a full and final degree classification for all students due to complete their programme this year".
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