The University of the Free State owns the Boyden Observatory, which still hosts the second largest working telescope in Africa. The goal of this talk is to introduce the University of the Free State (UFS) astrophysics program to the UCT and NASSP students. The audience will be introduced to the Boyden observatory, and the facilities, where the observational part of the research is being carried out. Observational projects involve the microlens planet search and gamma-ray bursts follow-up observations, as well as the study of galactic accretion driven systems like magnetic cataclysmic variables. Recently, a new project has been introduced, which involves the monitoring of near earth objects.
Theoretical studies involve the evolution of binary systems, the study of mass transfer in binary systems and magnetospheric processes resulting in non-thermal outbursts in accretion driven binary systems. Some recent breakthroughs will be illuminated.