New York University, founded in 1831, is a private, comprehensive institution. Offering more than 2,500 courses, the undergraduate program aims to cultivate inquiry, creativity, and independent ambition in all students, and to challenge them intellectually, professionally, and personally. The main campus, located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, has no walls or gates to maintain a connection to the surrounding city. Fourteen smaller schools within the university maintain their own traditions, programs, and faculty. NYU also has branch campuses in 10 countries on four continents, including Abu Dhabi, UAE.