Graduate following copper in island (4)
I believe the answer is:
cuba
'island' is the definition.
(Cuba is an example)
'graduate following copper' is the wordplay.
'graduate' becomes 'BA' (someone with a Bachelor of Arts degree).
'following' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'copper' becomes 'cu' (chemical symbol).
'ba' after 'cu' is 'CUBA'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for cuba that I've seen before include "Fidel's place" , "Guantanamo Bay island" , "detached area" , "Island country involved in a 1962 missile crisis" , "Caribbean country of cigars and rum?" .)