Time capsule installed in Trinity Business School to connect with future business leaders

Posted on: 13 November 2025

A time capsule designed to resemble a bank vault has been installed in the foyer of Trinity Business School. It preserves 155 messages from the graduating class of 2025, current students, and staff, and is set to be opened by the Dean of the School in 2075. 

The time capsule forms part of a year-long programme of events marking the 100th anniversary of Trinity Business School’s foundation.   

Shane Holland, Sculptor with Punit Sobti, MBA graduate; Prof. Laurent Muzellec, Dean of Trinity Business School; and Rachel Kelly, BESS graduate

Created by designer/sculptor and master metalworker Shane Holland, the specially commissioned time capsule has been crafted from mainly recycled, found or repurposed materials, reflecting the School’s commitment to sustainability.  

The 14kg sculpture is called ‘Tempus Fugit’ which means ‘time flies’ in Latin. It is made from repurposed materials including a bronze water filter, light fixtures, door hinges, and brass dome bolts. The flywheel of a decommissioned aircraft, which spins, forms the centre of the futuristic-industrial sculpture. 

Staff, students, and graduates were invited to contribute messages to the time capsule for future generations to read, resulting in submissions on topics ranging from political and environmental challenges and the rapid rise of AI to reflections on learning, leadership, and community. 

“Designed to resemble a bank vault, the real currency this time capsule holds is the messages from our School community to the next generation of business leaders,” explains Professor Laurent Muzellec, Dean of Trinity Business School. 

“In this fast-paced world, celebrating our centenary has given us a moment to pause and reflect, to look back at our history within the wider story of Ireland’s economic development, but also to look at ourselves through the eyes of future generations: Are we doing the right things? Will it stand the test of time? 

“In an institution like Trinity, which has thrived for more than 400 years, it is vital that we pursue strategies that adapt to our times while also keeping a long-term perspective—recognising our responsibilities from one generation to the next. 

“In 2075, most of us will no longer be here, but the students graduating in 2025 may return to open this capsule and celebrate the School’s 150th anniversary.  

“We hope they will see that our vision of transforming business for good has continued to shape their careers and their world. This time capsule captures who we are today and what mattered to our students in this moment. It also carries messages of enduring faith in humanity and intergenerational solidarity, reminding us that the values we share today can resonate far beyond our own time.” 

Examples of messages from graduating class of 2025: 

• “I was 35 when I found the love of my life while studying MBA. Goals and money matter, but don’t forget to pause, look around––the world holds more beauty than you can ever imagine.” Punit Sobti, MBA 
• “The earth needs an advocate in all spaces. It cannot speak for itself, so we have a responsibility to speak for it.”  Rachel Kelly, BESS 
• “Value sustainability! The world is in trouble, and we are not doing enough to save it. Plastic needs to be cancelled.” Lindsey Hardcastle, MSc in Human Resource Management  
• “The greatest lesson I will carry forever is that success is less about the problems you solve and more about the people you work with.”   Arushi Handa, MSc Business Analytics 
• “May your world be free from hatred and inhumanity, where every human is treated with dignity and compassion—what I dreamed of, I hope you achieved.” Olga Kurek, MSc Digital Marketing Strategy 
• “Relax—no one in 2025 had it all figured out either. Show up, ask questions, drink water, and stop pretending AI didn’t do half your assignments.” Damis Parvaiz, MSc Marketing 

“Almost every element of the time capsule sculpture has been recycled, upcycled, or repurposed,” says Shane Holland. “Many of the materials were left over from previous lighting commissions at a hotel in Cork or the Attorney General’s Office in Dublin, while others were donated to me, such as the brass dome bolts from a client's late father’s garden shed in Raheny. The centrepiece is an old aeroplane flywheel that symbolises time and motion and connects beautifully with the idea of a time capsule.” 

Each message has been carefully stored in the capsule by field of study and department, with a letter from the Dean placed at the centre of the capsule. It is anticipated that the capsule will be unlocked during a graduation ceremony reception in 2075 by the Dean and that those graduates will add their own messages and reseal the capsule for another 50 years, continuing a legacy of reflection and connection across generations. 

Trinity Business School’s year-long centenary celebrations began in January 2025 with a the formation of the number ‘100 Formation’ on the Trinity Rugby Pitch, where students, alumni, and staff came together to mark a century of business education.  

Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson launched the centenary celebrations in January with a special foyer greening ceremony. In April the 2025 Trinity Business Summit on Leadership in Sport and Business brought together distinguished alumni Jamie Heaslip, Joe McCarthy, Ryan Baird, and Olympic champion Annalise Murphy. The School also launched Marching in Time, 1925-2025: 100 Years of Trinity Business School and Irish Economic Transformation, a written history of its origins authored by business historian Dr Emmet Oliver. 

Last weekend the final centenary event took place - a gala dinner which was attended by 300 guests in the Kyle and Alan Dargan Lecture Theatre. At the event the Business Student of the Year Award was presented by incoming Trinity Business Alumni President Eithne Harley to this year’s recipient, Meaghan Platt. 

*Picture 2: Punit Sobti, MBA graduate; Rachel Kelly, BESS graduate with the time capsule and messages

*Picture 3: Shane Holland, Sculptor; Professor Laurent Muzellec, Dean of Trinity Business School

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