Students at Edinburgh University are asking for compensation for lectures they will miss due to an upcoming lecturers strike.

Almost 2000 people have signed an online petition to be reimbursed for the class time that they miss out on during the strike.

Staff at more than 60 UK universities, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, will begin their strike on Thursday in a row over changes to their pension scheme.

The negotiating committee of the Universities Superannuation Scheme voted last week to press ahead with plans that academics fear could cost them an average of £200,000 each.

The employers' group, Universities UK, called the move "a necessary step" as it looks to address a £17.5bn deficit in its pensions fund.

The plans will see a change from a defined benefit scheme, which gives guaranteed income in retirement, to a defined contribution scheme, where pensions are subject to fluctuations in the stock market.

Petitioners claim the strike, which will last for up to four weeks, with staff potentially taking a total of 14 days off work, will account for more than 10% of the academic year.

History of art student Sonny Ruggiero, 26, from California, said: "If the strike were to continue through the dates proposed, after today I will not have any seminars until the last week of the semester.

"I 100% support the strike, but I do also believe that reparations should be made by the university for the teaching we will not be given.

"As an international student the fees we pay are incredibly high already and we should be repaid if we're not given what we're actually paying for."

Justin Grace, who launched one of the petitions, said: "We do not hold the staff members themselves responsible, but appeal to the administration to defend our education as much as possible."

Edinburgh University's Students' Assocation (EUSA) vice president for education, Bob Archer, said: "The EUSA is meeting with the university on a weekly basis to advocate on students' behalf such that the strike action does not have a serious negative impact on their academic standing."

A representative from the University of Edinburgh said: "If activities are cancelled, the university will make every reasonable effort to mitigate the impact, whether that is delivering content through alternative means or attempting to recover the lost activity at a later date.

"Secondly, the university will also ensure that students are not disadvantaged academically by the industrial action."