Kerlos Marouki, who graduated in spring 2025, explored in his master’s thesis how Swedish Business Improvement Districts define and work with social inclusion.
The jury for the Property Owners’ thesis scholarship was impressed by the quality and results.
“In his thesis, he shows how the BID model is shaped and applied in a Swedish context, highlighting both opportunities and challenges when economic drivers meet ambitions for social inclusion. With a strong theoretical foundation and practically relevant insights, the work contributes valuable knowledge for both research and the property industry’s efforts in future place development,” the motivation reads.
Kerlos Marouki is very happy and honoured to receive the scholarship of SEK 30,000.
“I believe the thesis was chosen because it is highly relevant to the Property Owners and their involvement in the government inquiry on Business Improvement Districts and the proposed fee for area collaboration. The thesis sheds light on issues closely related to their work, especially regarding how collaboration between property owners, municipalities, and other local actors can contribute to more sustainable and inclusive urban development.”
What is the most important conclusion in your thesis?
“One key conclusion is that social inclusion is often addressed at a more practical and sometimes superficial level, for example through safety or comfort initiatives, rather than with a long-term focus on structural change. I wanted to show that there is a need to deepen the understanding of inclusion and work more strategically with social issues in urban development processes.”
Today, Kerlos Marouki works as a municipal advisor in Södertälje. He remembers his two years at Linköping University fondly.
“My time at LiU was very rewarding. I appreciated both the teachers’ commitment and the strong sense of community in the programme. It was a formative period that went by quickly, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to study in such an inspiring environment.”
Kristina Trygg, programme director for Strategic Urban and Regional Planning, feels proud.
“Especially since the jury’s motivation shows that we maintain a high academic standard in our theses. The thesis covers a current topic and studies a model/theory in practice. It’s aAn inspiration for future students.”
