Marshall University President Jerome A. Gilbert this morning released the following statement regarding the overnight announcement of China Energy Investment Corp’s expected $83 billion investment in shale gas development and chemical manufacturing projects in West Virginia.
“I congratulate Governor Jim Justice, Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher and Economic Development Director Kris Hopkins on this amazing announcement. This is indeed a game-changer for West Virginia and I could not be more excited about this development and what it means for our state and for Marshall University.
“One of my priorities as president is economic development for West Virginia and ensuring Marshall is a full partner with the Department of Commerce. Our faculty has the expertise and, through our College of Engineering and Computer Sciences and our College of Science, is equipping our students with the necessary skill sets to be leaders in this global economy, providing top-notch researchers to develop new technologies. We also are helping our state workforce train for the jobs of tomorrow through RCBI, our center of excellence in advanced manufacturing.
“At Marshall University, we have the knowledge, engineers, researchers, tech specialists and professionals to help this endeavor come into reality. We stand ready to partner with the state to provide this workforce. Put simply, Marshall University is ready to get to work!”