The Constantinople Orthodox Institute was established in Pennsboro, West Virginia, USA, by the late Prince Kermit Poling de Polanie-Patrikios, in his capacity as Head of the Royal House Polanie-Patrikios, on 1 January 2006. It was associated with the Ancient Catholic Orthodox Church, which is part of the Apostolate of the Holy Wisdom under the Catholicate of the West.

The Institute is a study society established to foster interest in Byzantine faith, history and culture, which is particularly encouraged through directed self-study. Various issues of The Excubitor, the journal of the Byzantine Order of Leo V, contained resources for students of the Institute.

The Institute formerly conferred the honorary religious degree of Doctor of Byzantine Studies upon persons of distinguished achievement in the Institute’s fields of interest. On the death of Prince Kermit in 2015 the Institute ceased to be established in the USA, and entered into an  agreement with European-American University (Bunyoro-Kitara, France) which duly became its degree-awarding body for the honorary degree.